Magnetic Attraction
by frizzy returned
Summary: Draco Malfoy is a part Veela, and has recently come into what is known as his Inheritance. On discovering that Harry Potter is his mate, he must try to seduce the Gryffindor hero. Will Harry fight against the bond forced upon him, or will he weaken under
1. chapter 1

**Dear readers,**

I would like to thank you all for your support, and to aopologise for my absence over the past few months. Many of you will have heard the reason why by now, but if you haven't you can find the info in my profile.

To those who are new readers to this fic, I welcome you and hope that you enjoy MA as much as the old readers did. This fic has been going now for over a year, and been pulled at least four times as well – losing over 10,000 reviews in the process - and I only hope that this time it will remain and problems will be avoided.

Lastly, thank you to the following people:

**Winsome  
Lisa  
She Devil  
Margaret  
Dreamergirl  
Katie Grause  
Wicked Pink Lady  
A Lost Lily  
Emily  
Reggie**

The above have been my beta readers in the past and it's thanks to them that the first 25 chapters have been completed. Thank you for all your help, it was greatly appreciated, and I know my readers will be forever in your debt for actually forcing me to write so that I could send you the chapters to you to beta laughs

THANK YOU.

P.S. Any flaming for the disclaimer or my fic will be noted, but can I please ask that any complaints be left in a review, in capitals, and I'll make the necessary changes immediately. I'd prefer not to be pulled for a fourth time.

Translations of my fic and other sites where it is posted can be found in my bio. Also, to any of you who would like to join my yahoo group the site address is in my bio as well.

**Disclaimer**:

I do not own anything that belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own the plot, the original Malfoy's, the book featured in this fic by Clare Sarend, the Veela inheritance information as I have written it, the future prophecy (not the idea of a prophecy but what it contains) and the future baby. The term Magnetic Attraction as it applies in this fic and Veela idea also belongs to me.

I would just like to add that I give anyone permission to use the idea of Draco being a Veela, as it doesn't belong to me. However, the use of my plot in any way, shape or form is not permissible, and I mean that politely. I ask you to have fun creating your own original fics and I hope you respect my rights as an author and do so. I am not being egotistical or having ideas above my station, I am merely asking for mutual understanding.

Anything you recognise belongs to J. K. Rowling as this is a piece of fanfiction I have slaved over countless days and nights to post for you. Enjoy.

Don't flame for the disclaimer.

**Warning**:

This story contains **SLASH**. If you don't like, then please do not read. This story will later on contain MPREG. It will be in two parts, posted as one fic, and I will tell you when one part ends and the next begins.

**Summary:**

Draco Malfoy is a part Veela, and has recently come into what is known as his Inheritance. On discovering that Harry Potter is his mate, he must try to seduce the Gryffindor hero. Will Harry fight against the bond forced upon him, or will he weaken under the pull of the Magnetic Attraction and fall in love with the softer side to the boy he used to hate?

**Spoilers:**

The first four books. AU because of Veela idea.

**Beta readers:**

Thank you to all the beta readers listed above in my letter. Your support and help meant a great deal to me. Thank You!

**Chapter 1:**

Harry hesitated outside Professor Dumbledore's office, having heard raised voices coming from inside. He frowned, and moved closer to the door so that he could hear better, but the sound was still blurred and he could not tell who was in the room.

"...No, too unbelievable... Death Eater... Vee... mad and insane...can't believe it... Harry... Impossible... Malfoy…"

Harry knocked on the door loudly, and all noise stopped immediately. There was silence for several moments before anyone answered, making Harry instantly suspicious. They must have been talking about him, he realised.

"Ah, Harry, come in," called Dumbledore.

Harry walked into Dumbledore's office cautiously, somehow knowing that something was wrong. His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall, and strangely enough, Draco Malfoy waiting for him inside.

His eyes wandered to Malfoy, widening in curiosity as they met silver orbs that stared at him with a strange emotion in their depths. Malfoy had changed over the years; his usual emotional outbursts had been subdued until they were now nearly nonexistent. Harry and Ron had wondered about it constantly, finding it strange at first, until Hermione had snapped at them, annoyed at having her reading interrupted, saying that Malfoy had simply grown up.

It was strange, but most of the Slytherins had changed as well. Whereas before they had delighted in teasing and tormenting the other houses, they now mainly stayed together. The war had no doubt forced them to adapt and the new First Year Slytherins were soon moulded the same.

Why was Malfoy here and why had Sirius showed himself to the son of a Death Eater?

He caught Sirius' stunned face, so he assumed that it was Sirius who had been shouting. He smiled at the older man, trying to show that whatever happened he didn't blame him; Harry knew that his godfather would never harm him. Sirius loved him.

He allowed Dumbledore to lead him towards a chair next to Malfoy, which he frowned at but sat in all the same. He didn't want to ask the man if he would be able to sit somewhere else, aware of how childish that would appear. Dumbledore had been encouraging the students to form relationship with the students of other houses, wanting Hogwarts to unite and show strength during the war.

"You look just like James," Sirius finally managed to choke, after staring at Harry for several moments.

Harry blinked, turning confused green eyes on his godfather. It was true that he had changed over the years. He had grown taller, and at just five foot eight he was not the shortest boy in his year, even if Ron towered over him – Harry had always believed that it was the Dursleys' fault that he was so short and thin. Living in a cupboard for eleven years would not have helped his growth.

He had grown slightly muscular, even though he was still thin, and his shoulders had broadened due to the Quidditch practices he attended nearly every day. His clothes, carefully chosen by Hermione, showed off his body perfectly, revealing his assets while minimizing the features Harry despised, including his knobbly knees.

His hair was slightly tamer, now messily styled rather than the complete mess it used to be. He had grown it slightly longer than it used to be and the heavier weight helped keep it under control – most of the time.

He had also changed his glasses for magical contacts, claiming that it would help with his Quidditch if he could see in the rain. They were a new make, which allowed the contacts to change with his vision and he never had to change them. He didn't really want to try the new potion that corrected eyesight... he was wary of anything Snape had invented.

Harry supposed he did look like his father, thinking about the photos in his album that Hagrid had given him. He did have his father's face; in fact, he was the exact double of James Potter except, of course, for the green eyes, which he had inherited from his mother. He found it strange that although many people said he looked like his father, he never really found any connections to his father through his looks. He had no living memory of his parents; after all, they were all moments captured by photographs or described to him by other people.

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to come," began Dumbledore, interrupting his thoughts.

Harry nodded, turning his gaze onto the elderly Headmaster. He had been summoned to the Headmaster's office after dinner, and had no idea why his presence was needed. He hadn't done anything wrong; Hermione was making sure that Harry and Ron were behaving appropriately, having lectured them on their responsibility to show the younger students how to behave.

Harry hadn't wanted to argue with the witch, knowing that it was fruitless. When Hermione got an idea fixated in her mind it was better to go along with it. He could still remember the S.P.E.W incident vividly, and the way she had reacted to his and Ron's lack of motivation to help her was not something Harry wanted to happen again.

"Before I start, Harry, I need to ask you a few personal questions..."

"Okay," Harry said, beginning to feel uneasy.

"Are you currently in a relationship?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes meeting Harry's with a strange gleam.

Harry noticed that they were twinkling and inwardly groaned. Twinkling eyes, to him, always meant that he was going to do something that he would not want to do. Harry knew from experience that Dumbledore could persuade anybody to do anything. The old man could make Snape sit in a room and have a civil conversation with his worst enemy, Harry's godfather, Sirius Black-which Harry considered a bloody miracle.

"No..."

"Have you been in a, shall we say, serious relationship in the past?" asked Dumbledore, blushing slightly.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, blinking in confusion.

"He hasn't," snapped Malfoy, eyes on Harry in an almost predatory way.

"How do you...?" Harry began angrily, not liking the fact that they were discussing his love life with none other than Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin leader, who apparently hated him, in the room.

Draco Malfoy had taken over the role of looking after his house since their forth year with ease. The younger Slytherins appeared to trust him, and the older Slytherins supported him and his decisions without a word. Harry had secretly thought that Malfoy was trying to gather followers for Voldemort, a theory which Ron had whole heartedly supported and Hermione had scoffed at.

"I know everything about you, Harry," said Malfoy, lips lifted into a half smile. The smile was half self-mocking and half resigned, and Harry wondered idly what had happened to make Malfoy act, well, almost human.

"What did you just call me?" asked Harry, remembering exactly what the other boy had said and feeling a little startled by the use of his first name. Malfoy had never used his first name and it was strange to hear it come from the other boy with no trace of anger.

"Harry. That is your name, is it not?"

"Since when have you called me Harry?" he demanded.

"Since now," mocked Malfoy, a smirk twisting his lips in a familiar expression he had perfected over the years. The smirk was Malfoy's trademark, and Harry had heard girls say that it was the reason they fell for him. Malfoy was dangerous, and attracted attention like a magnet with his almost angelic looks. Harry had once told a besotted Lavender that underneath the halo of blond hair lay the mind of a devil, much to the girls irritation.

"And which orientation are you?" Dumbledore rushed in, looking down at the papers of his desk before reaching out to shuffle the parchments and effectively not looking at the boy he was interrogating.

"What?" Harry gasped in amazement, wondering whether he had heard Dumbledore correctly. He had never, in all of his wildest dreams, imagined that the old headmaster would ask him such a private question.

"I realise how embarrassing these questions are, Harry, but it is important that they are answered," muttered Dumbledore, blushing slightly again.

If he weren't so embarrassed Harry would have laughed at the fact that Dumbledore was embarrassed about something. He had always assumed that the man was unable to be anything as human as being embarrassed.

"Do I have to answer these questions?" Harry asked, clearly uncomfortable, shooting dark looks in Draco Malfoy's direction. He did not want to answer such questions in front of a boy he knew would tell the entire population of Hogwarts as soon as he had left the room.

"I'm afraid that they are necessary, Harry," Dumbledore said mildly, eyeing Harry with an expression of slight humour.

"I guess I've never really thought about it..." Harry sighed, knowing that it was pointless to protest any further. Dumbledore would not let him leave unless he had found out what he needed to know.

"Why not?" asked Dumbledore, eyes suddenly piercing in their intensity.

Harry looked at Sirius with a pleading expression, begging Sirius to get him out of this mess that he had somehow gotten into. Sirius, however, was grinning at him, clearly waiting for an answer. Harry scowled darkly, feeling betrayed by the man he considered as a father.

"I guess," he snapped, "it never really bothered me because I always thought I'd die before I reached the age of sixteen."

He didn't really want to hurt Sirius, he loved him, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel bitter towards everyone. He had been forced to play the role of the Gryffindor Golden Boy for too long, and he hated it. He wanted to be himself.

Oh, he had willingly gone and fought Voldemort every year: in his first year to prevent him from getting the Philosopher's stone; in his second year he had willingly gone to save Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets; in his third year he had saved Sirius from Azkaban; and in his forth he had taken part in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Harry hadn't had to do any of the above, but it had been expected of him, and he hadn't wanted to stand on the sidelines watching as his friends were harmed. He fought Voldemort for revenge for those that had been lost – his parents, Cedric, and countless others – and often felt angry towards the wizarding world that had decided to let a sixteen year old boy fight their battles for them.

"So you do not have a preference for either sex?" questioned Dumbledore hastily, sensing that Sirius was about to lecture his godson.

"I guess not. I suppose it wouldn't bother me if I cared about the person..."

Snape snorted back what sounded suspiciously like laughter and Harry looked at him in confusion. What did Snape find so funny about this? 'Snape probably liked seeing me embarrassed,' mused Harry angrily, sending the man a glare.

McGonagall frowned at Snape, clearly ready to say something to him. Harry grinned, amused at the unfamiliar expression on Snape's face. It was very rare for the Potion master to express any emotion except disdain. Draco Malfoy was the same - he gave off the impression of distance and coldness but he often snapped, mainly in anger, when he had had enough. Harry assumed it was because of the fact that they were Slytherins.

"I think that Mr. Malfoy should explain," said Dumbledore, looking slightly relieved to turn the matter over to the young boy who was still eyeing Harry closely.

"Okay," Harry said hesitantly, switching his gaze to Malfoy, who appeared to be wearing an almost dreamy expression. Harry blinked in amazement and the other boy's face returned to its renowned emotionless mask. Harry wondered whether he had imagined seeing such an expression on the other boy's face.

'It's amazing,' Harry thought, 'how much Malfoy is like his father...'

"I suppose the first thing to tell you is that I am not entirely human," Malfoy began.

Harry snorted, finding the comment amusing. He and Ron had said that all along, even if Hermione scolded them for their lack of respect towards a follow students – she had conveniently forgotten how many times Malfoy had called her a mudblood.

"Harry!" admonished Dumbledore with a smile.

Sirius grinned, clearly amused by Harry's antics. He knew that Harry and Draco had a rivalry, which was comparable to his own rivalry to Severus Snape. He shivered in revulsion. He hoped with all his heart that he would never be in such a position as his godson was in with the person he hated. The very idea of him and Snape together was repulsive and made Sirius feel nauseous.

"I have inherited Veela blood," Malfoy explained, eyes narrowing slightly.

"And?" asked Harry, not understanding what the other boy was getting at. He couldn't really remember much on Veela's, and had only met full Veela's at the Quidditch World Cup before his fourth year at Hogwarts.

"Part-Veela's are different from normal Veela in many ways: they don't change in anger; they remain in human form, although they do inherit inhuman strength and beauty; and on their sixteenth birthday they come into their Inheritance," Malfoy continued.

"What's that?" asked Harry, curious despite himself.

"The Inheritance is when the blood of a Part-Veela comes into full power. The magnetic attraction towards them starts in full force and they tend to look for a mate," explained Malfoy, eyes unreadable.

"How do they do that?"

"They go by scent, selecting the person they are attracted to. The Veela will usually feel a pull towards that other person before they reach the age of sixteen, but as they develop towards that age it increases. On the day of their birthday they usually have the desire to mate with their partner, bonding with them…"

"Bonding? How?" asked Harry, still clueless.

He failed to notice the other people in the room blushing as Malfoy smirked wickedly, a mischievous gleam in his silver eyes as he eyed the naive boy. Sirius groaned inaudibly, shaking his head. He needed to have a serious conversation with his godson, sooner rather than later. Harry's inexperience would be a problem in the upcoming months.

"The Veela, during sex, casts a binding spell, allowing them to grind some of their attraction to their mate; however, this does have some disadvantages. The Veela will become overly protective, especially every spring in the mating season. The desire for their mate grows rapidly, increasing the need for a physical relationship... at any time or any place..."

By now Harry was blushing, crimson, as were the other occupants in the room. He couldn't believe that he had been so naive. His blush darkened as he realised that he had as good as told the other occupants of the room that he was a virgin – something he didn't want broadcasted, particularly to the boy who hated him and did anything he could to make Harry's life miserable. How else would a Veela, a beautiful magical creature whom wizards lusted after, bond with its mate? Harry promptly ignored the little voice which asked him when he had begun to find Malfoy beautiful.

"Without a mate the attraction goes totally out of control. So far I have managed to control it, but without a mate I will not be able to walk around the school without people trying to...accost me..."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that on your birthday you are going to be looking for a mate," concluded Harry finally.

"Yes."

"But you said that you still had the Veela attraction...your birthday was last week," Harry said with a frown, remembering the Slytherin party, which had resulted in the nearly the whole House in the Infirmary with hangovers. Even several of the first and second years had participated – though they had regretted it the next day.

Harry barely prevented a laugh as he remembered Pansy Parkinson's pale face and the time she had thrown up all over Snape. The whole of the Slytherin House had been punished severely and surprisingly it had been Snape to do it. Although that probably had to do with Pansy's vomit over his robes, Harry thought, a grin appearing on his face.

"Yes," Malfoy agreed.

"Then why don't I feel it?" asked Harry in curiosity. "I mean, if you have been a Veela for over a week then I should have felt some attraction to you, but I haven't…."

"That's a good question," mused Malfoy, eyes switching to Dumbledore, obviously wanting an answer.

Dumbledore beamed, popping a lemon drop into his mouth. He offered one to Harry, who refused quickly, not wanting Dumbledore to go off track or start talking in riddles. Even he had to admit that however brilliant Dumbledore was he still had moments of insanity.

"I assume you remember the Veela from the Quidditch World Cup?" asked Dumbledore gently.

Harry nodded, ignoring his godfather's snigger.

"Then you were aware of Mr. Weasley's attraction to them... and Miss Delacour?" he added with a smile, deliberately omitting the fact that Harry himself had been attracted to the Veela in the World Cup before his fourth year, although Harry suspected he knew due to the bright blue eyes watching him. He blushed uncomfortably.

It was incredibly embarrassing discussing his friends' love lives with the Headmaster, though he assumed that there was a reason behind Dumbledore's questioning. Then again, Ron's reaction to Fleur had been rather obvious, and no doubt the faculty had found it as equally as amusing as the rest of Hogwarts.

Harry grinned suddenly, realising what the man was referring to, Sirius coughed, and Snape smirked. McGonagall looked disapproving while Remus poked Sirius in the ribs to silence him.

"Can you remember Miss Granger's reaction?" Dumbledore smiled, taking a sip of tea from the cup already on his desk.

"What do you...? Oh! You're on about Ron fancying Fleur and Hermione being jealous." Harry grinned lopsidedly, remembering the way his friends had reacted.

"Yes," Dumbledore chuckled.

"Yeah, it was hilarious. They are still denying how they feel for one another even though they are hopelessly in love. It's weird - I always thought Hermione was clever, but she's still in denial."

"I have to admit that on that point the boy is correct. I will have to throw aside my disdain for your usual reckless attitude and award you one point to Gryffindor for actually being aware of the situation around you. It appears that you have a brain under that mess of hair, boy, and have actually discovered that the coveted Miss Granger is not as knowledgeable as many expect her to be," spat Snape, face twisting in detest.

He couldn't stand Hermione Granger, who was muggleborn, and the current school genius. The girl was undeniably a clever individual, but she lacked the power to go with it, whereas Harry had the power and the lack of thirst for knowledge, even after years of encouragement from his friend.

"Severus!" exclaimed McGonagall in shock, appalled at the way her colleague was discussing their students and surprised, never having heard the potions master compliment Harry in any way shape or form before. He was well known to have an abhorrence for Harry Potter.

"What? The boy actually said something that made sense," snapped Snape irritably, dismissing her surprise with a wave of his hand.

"Don't you dare insult my godson!" raged Sirius, taking the comment as the snide insult it had been.

"Gentlemen!" Dumbledore interrupted, voice rising, angry at having the conversation interrupted.

Everyone went silent instantly, unused to Dumbledore raising his voice, and both Sirius and Snape looked sheepish, realising just how childish their behaviour had been to provoke such a reaction from a man who generally considered their rivalry to be amusing, if annoying at times. It appeared that Dumbledore wanted the conversation over and done with.

"Can you remember a little gift she gave the pair of you in your fifth year?" queried Dumbledore, shooting the other occupants of the room warning looks.

Harry appeared puzzled for a moment before realisation hit him and he blushed crimson, looking decidedly uncomfortable. Sirius looked between Dumbledore and Harry in amusement while Malfoy eyed Harry with unreadable eyes.

"What did she give you?" grinned Sirius, clearly thinking it would be something to tease Harry about at every available opportunity later on.

"She took me to a tattoo parlour," Harry muttered, squirming uncomfortably in his seat.

"What?" shrieked McGonagall, horrified at the thought of any of her students walking around Hogwarts with such a silly decoration adorning their bodies.

McGonagall's lack of self control only made Harry cringe. One rarely saw the Head of Gryffindor anything but stern and dignified, and the change was rather dramatic, to say the least.

"What did you have done?" Malfoy drawled, a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth, eyes filled with interest as he leaned over slightly, eyes raking over Harry's uncomfortable frame.

"She blackmailed me into having my nipple pierced," he blushed, his voice so low they barely heard it.

Sirius howled with laughter, imagining his innocent godson having such a thing done. It simply did not fit into the image he had of Harry.

"That's a joke, right?" asked Sirius in between laughs.

Harry hesitated before shaking his head, watching as Sirius stared at him in growing disbelief. Snape smirked, Remus goggled, McGonagall nearly fainted, Dumbledore beamed, and Malfoy licked his lips, making Harry stare at him in shock.

"Would you care to show me, Harry?" asked Dumbledore merrily.

Harry shook his head dumbly and pulled off his robes. He lifted up the red polo shirt he wore underneath to reveal a tanned muscular chest. Everyone blinked as the top was pushed under his chin, revealing the right nipple, which was pierced with a small golden stud.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd had that done?" croaked Sirius, unable to believe his eyes.

"I thought you'd go mad with me," Harry mumbled, avoiding Sirius' eyes.

"Of course we would be mad!" shrieked McGonagall.

"Now, Minerva, the school rules do not have any rule against nipple studs, if I remember correctly," Dumbledore said casually, eyes twinkling.

Minerva McGonagall eyed Dumbledore in disbelief, clearly not believing that the Headmaster would ignore the fact that his students were wearing body jewellery. It was dangerous, she thought angrily.

Malfoy made a throaty moan and everyone's eyes fixed on him. He was leaning forward in the chair, face flushed and silver eyes fixed on Harry's bare stomach. The desire in his eyes was noticeable now and Harry gaped, hastily yanking down his top and avoiding the young Veela's eyes, unsure as to what it all meant. Malfoy couldn't like him like that - the very idea was preposterous. Malfoy hated him.

"I think that Miss Granger charmed yours and Mr. Weasley's stud to be attraction proof. As long as you wear them you will not be attracted to Veela charm, other charms, lust potions, or any other forms of desire unless they are real," Dumbledore informed him cheerfully, trying to cover the silence in the room.

The information the school portraits told him after overhearing supposedly confidential conversations sometimes came in handy, Dumbledore mused thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

Harry understood the reason why Hermione had done it. She had been in love with Ron for a while, although the boy was oblivious to the fact. Harry had thought that it was suspicious the way Hermione had insisted on it. Perhaps a piercing was one way of keeping the charm invisible from prying eyes; after all, the two boys wouldn't show off their nipple studs due to the fact that they didn't think that they were allowed at Hogwarts.

"So that's why Hermione made sure that Ron was wearing the stud when the students from Beauxbatons visited earlier this year," laughed Harry.

He remembered Hermione's adamant face as she helped Ron to change the stud. She had even been smiling rather suspiciously, making Ron gape at her, though Harry believed that Ron had been more interested in Hermione smiling at him rather than why. Sometimes Hermione was too clever for her own good. Perhaps he had better tell Ron...

"So that's why you have not been attracted to me... no doubt Granger will laugh when she hears..." muttered Malfoy, trying to control the urge to pounce on Harry, who still remained oblivious to his attentions, even though Draco was sure that his mask had slipped more than once.

"Sir, forgive me for asking, but what has this got to do with me?" asked Harry uncomfortably.

Sirius let out a moan and Harry looked towards him. He was eyeing Malfoy in lust, much to Harry's horror. On glancing at Snape, McGonagall, and Remus he discovered similar reactions. Even Dumbledore appeared dazed as the young Veela licked his lips, eyes glowing with desire. Even Harry had to admit that he was attractive.

Over the past two years Draco Malfoy had shot up to over six foot - taller than Harry. His body had filled out, having once been thin to the point of almost being effeminate, and his pale skin had taken on a golden glow from the sun. His hair was the same white-gold colour, but instead of being plastered down with gel it hung naturally to lightly skim his shoulders, framing a strong handsome face and a pair of silver, glowing eyes. He was the exact copy of his father, except for the tan, beautiful but deadly. He was the perfect Slytherin; cool, composed and never without a sarcastic retort.

Now that Harry thought about it, he had heard the girls and several of the boys in Gryffindor commenting on Malfoy's new looks, particularly Parvati, Lavender, Seamus, and Dean. Malfoy was never without admirers; he was perhaps one of the most popular boys in the school, even if he was only in his sixth year and an arrogant brat most of the time. Even those he treated with disdain, and mocked, adored him and fantasized about the blond.

Harry could understand the physical attraction, but he couldn't understand the attraction to Malfoy's personality, even if he had been calmer lately, and had not said anything particularly annoying to Harry and his friends. Harry had seen several girls in tears after being tossed aside when Malfoy had no longer wanted their company.

"Mr. Malfoy's mate is at Hogwarts," sneered Snape.

"Who?" asked Harry cheerfully.

Harry had a mental picture of Malfoy trying to seduce a Gryffindor, or even worse a Hufflepuff. He couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him as he imagined Malfoy mating with Neville Longbottom. He hastily covered his mouth with his hand and went into a coughing fit. He wondered whether Malfoy's mate even liked him.

The adults all went silent and suddenly a thought struck Harry and he stared in shock at the Veela. What the hell...! It couldn't be! They hated each other, and yet it made sense...Malfoy had been avoiding them lately... He had barely said a word to them...That in itself was strange as he usually went out of his way to annoy them at least once a day.

"I don't believe it!"

"Harry," began Dumbledore hastily.

"Ron will kill him!"

"What does Ron have to do with this?" asked Sirius in confusion.

"You mean it isn't Ron?" asked Harry, relaxing instantly, ignoring the rising suspicion which was beginning to creep forward from the back of his mind.

Everyone eyed him as if he were insane, which made Harry increasingly uncomfortable. Had he missed something? Why were they eyeing him strangely? Snape appeared as if he were about to make a scathing remark about Harry's intelligence, and only closed his mouth after Dumbledore peered at him, a warning in his blue eyes.

"Whatever made you think that I would be interested in the Weasel?" drawled Malfoy, wondering whether Harry Potter was as stupid as he acted. Surely he couldn't be that dense? He stared into Harry's emerald green eyes, stunned by their colour, and hastily shook such thoughts away. Now was not the time to be noticing how beautiful Potter had become…

"I don't know...I just...well..." Harry mumbled, not sure what to say.

"Harry, I must say this before you find out. It is possible for the person to not accept Draco's bond. The person may ignore it..."

"Oh..." Harry said, not really understanding what the whole situation had to do with him, but nodding anyway.

"However, once a Veela has decided on its mate it will continue to try and seduce him until they do bond...Veela are very persuasive creatures..."

Suddenly it all clicked. Dumbledore had wanted to know whether he liked boys or girls...he had questioned whether he was in a relationship...he had discussed Veela with him...Harry felt the sudden urge to run as he looked in panic towards the silver-haired boy. Oh my God, his mind screamed.

This couldn't be happening. His rival was not trying to seduce him...he couldn't be! It was impossible! Draco Malfoy hated Harry Potter with a passion. His father was a Death Eater, working for the man who had killed Harry's parents and was intent on killing Harry himself.

"It's you," moaned Malfoy, clearly wanting nothing better than to pounce on the stunned, horrified boy staring at him as if he had admitted to having a crush on Voldemort.

Harry wondered idly in that moment whether Voldemort would have been the better option.

**End of chapter 1.**

**Please review.**


	2. chapter 2

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

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**Chapter 2: Coping with the Truth:**

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"You're lying" Harry snapped, desperation in his voice as he looked at Sirius for the truth, knowing that Sirius would not lie to him about something so important.

Sirius bowed his head, unable to bear the desperation in his godson's eyes. He wished he could stop this entire situation but there was no way Dumbledore would allow him to do anything to prevent the inevitable. As they had all discussed before Harry had entered the room, Veela will take their chosen partner as a mate and will never cease trying to bond with them. As much as he hated to admit it, there was nothing he could do. Harry had no choice. He could fight it until he died, but he would never have a happy life. Draco Malfoy was not likely to leave his mate alone. If there was anything the Malfoy's were renowned for, it was their stubbornness and the way they took what they wanted, no matter what the obstacles were in their path.

"But why" begged Harry.

"I don't know" replied Malfoy, pity in his gaze, mingled with lust and desire. He understood exactly what Harry was going through, having been through the same denial himself, but the veela blood flowing through his veins had taken control, and he merely wanted to comfort his mate. Besides, Harry was an undeniably attractive boy…

Harry wondered why he had never noticed it before; those silver eyes seemed to strip him naked. He shivered, feeling nauseous, and wrapped his arms around himself in an unconscious gesture which made him seem suddenly vulnerable and fragile. Sirius wanted to wrap his arms around him; he wanted to protect the child James and Lily Potter had entrusted into his care - but he couldn't.

"Why me? You could have anyone you wanted! Why not Pansy or..."

"I don't want them! I want you!" Draco ranted, his voice gradually getting louder with each word, his overflowing emotions making his usually collected composure snap. "You have no idea of the self-control I have had to use this week; every time I saw you, I wanted to pin you down to the floor and ravish you. You tease me! Your scent is everywhere... I can't escape it... how the hell do you think I coped when I discovered I wanted you"

"I... Please... I can't..." muttered Harry, green eyes strangely unfocused.

He didn't want this. He wanted to lead a normal, happy life in the following order: defeat Voldemort, the man who had made his life hell since birth; fall in love and marry the girl of his dreams; buy a family home and have a dozen children, something Harry had always longed for. He vividly remembered his own lonely childhood and wanted to fill his future home with love and laughter.

Malfoy sighed softly, eyes soft and filled with adoration as they fixed on the other boy. He had never seen Harry so confused, so afraid… What could he do? He knew what he wanted to do...He wanted to lock himself in his room, alone with Harry, where he could kiss that soft mouth, touch that tanned skin, suck on that tempting neck and…

"Draco" scolded Dumbledore hastily, recognising the look in the Veela's eyes.

Draco flushed slightly, but didn't apologise. Malfoys did not apologise to anyone, except family. It was the unspoken rule. A Malfoy must be proud of their heritage at all times and not show weakness. Apologies were a sign of weakness and Lucius had lectured his son countless times on how to behave properly in society.

"What about your father" said Harry desperately, suddenly remembering the loathing expression the elder Malfoy wore when around Harry. Lucius Malfoy would surely not be impressed with his son consorting with Voldemort's number one enemy, mate or not.

"I do not plan on ever becoming a slave to Voldemort," Draco said smoothly, eyes narrowing as he recognised what Harry really meant. He was inwardly amused, however, by how Harry didn't actually state what they all knew to be the truth. Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater and had been since Voldemort's first reign, even if the public thought that Lucius had been under the Imperious curse. "I have my Grandfather's mansion, his money and estate; I am perhaps as wealthy as my father in my own right. I do not intend to keep in touch with him if he decides to force me against you. I would never allow him to harm you, Harry. You are my mate and I will never harm you deliberately – I can't. My father will understand this."

The possessiveness in Malfoy's voice made Harry distinctly uneasy. He suddenly remembered the way that Malfoy concentrated on catching the snitch in a Quidditch match. There was the same stubbornness, determination and pride on the aristocratic face which he showed when in the air. Draco Malfoy had a strange feline grace; he was like a predator, waiting for his prey before pouncing at exactly the right time.

He had never seen the other boy lose his self control so easily before and the way that the other boy seemed to have accepted being tied for the rest of his life to a boy he hated made Harry speculate whether Draco had actually hated him previously, or whether it had been simply childhood rivalry. The change in the boy that he had always believed he knew inside out scared him. Hell, he was terrified! Malfoy was serious...he wanted to mate with him...wanted to have sex with him!

"You can deny this all that you want but I intend to make you mine. I will never give in, of that you can be sure" said Malfoy, voice strangely gentle, but the implicit stubborn determination in his tone was clear.

"But why me" asked Harry quietly, slight disbelief in his voice.

There were other people whom would better suit Draco Malfoy. Pansy Parkinson had been planning on being the next Mrs. Malfoy since Harry had first known her, and she had been born into a wealthy pureblood family. Why hadn't Malfoy chosen her? Why did he have to make Harry's life more complicated than it already was?

Harry was so busy with his thoughts that he never noticed when Malfoy stood and moved towards him, before reaching out and gripping his chin and forcing it back until he was staring up into the other boy's silver eyes.

Draco studied the boy before him. How could he tell Harry how beautiful he was? How could he tell him how much he adored the thick messy hair, which always seemed to stand on end, as if he had not even bothered to brush it? He idly remembered overhearing Lavender Brown telling Parvati Patil that Harry had bedroom hair – as if he had been ravished and simply not bothered to brush it. He mentally made a note to make sure that Lavender Brown stayed away from his mate in the future. How could he tell the other boy, who was known to being completely hopeless about his own physical appearance, that he loved the bright emerald eyes and proud figure? How could he tell this boy that he needed him, wanted him, desired him?

"You are beautiful, strong, proud, powerful - you are everything I could ever possibly dream of" Malfoy replied at last, making sure that his voice was steady and calm. Malfoys never lost control, after all.

"I don't know what to do... I hated you and I thought that you hated me. I'm confused..." mumbled Harry uncertainly, feeling uncomfortable with the other boy so close.

"Then take your time to work it out. I only want you to be happy. Think about it, Harry. I can give you everything you ever desired: affection, protection, and friendship…" Draco deliberately left out the word 'love.' He would never confess such a powerful emotion in front of so many witnesses, especially when he mistrusted several.

He knew that Black was Harry's godfather, and apparently cared deeply for Harry, but he was wary of Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. To a Slytherin like Draco, who had been taught to look for traps and hidden messages, he knew that the two were manipulative when the opportunity arose and he wanted to cover his tracks to avoid being put in an awkward situation.

"I will never physically force you to bond with me. Veela only want to please their mates to the best of their ability," Draco continued, voice now holding a trace of arrogance. He smirked at the blushing Gryffindor. "All that I ask is that you don't shut me out. I must confess that it took me a while to accept the circumstances for what they are and I understand that it will take the same for you, but denial is not going to help you in the long run."

"Can't we be friends" Harry asked finally, after a moment of silence, trying to jerk his face away, but the Veela's grip deliberately tightened – not enough to bruise, but enough for Harry's eyes to widen.

"If that is all you are prepared to give me at the moment" consented Draco, voice carefully devoid of emotion.

He lightly moved his thumb to stroke Harry's bottom lip in a surprisingly tender gesture, which made Harry ill at ease, due to the fact that he had never been treated that way before. He got lost in Draco's eyes for a moment, marvelling at the silver eyes that now, when he looked closer, had pale blue tints around the pupil.

Harry blinked in confusion, pulling away from the Veela with a sudden jerk that made the fingers loosen. He lifted startled green eyes up to the other boy, a question clearly visible in their depths. Draco smirked in amusement, but there was also relief in his gaze.

"What did you do" snapped Harry angrily, embarrassed by the sudden flare of desire he had felt.

"It seems that you are not completely immune to my charm, after all. The stud does take away most of the magnetic attraction you will feel towards me but under constant pressure it will start to break down" Draco explained.

"So I'll still be attracted to you" asked Harry, clearly looking horrified.

Snape snorted, obviously amused by the Boy Who Lived's eloquence. Draco sent his Head of House a brief look, conveying his thoughts, and the Potions Master merely stared back obstinately. Draco maybe one of his favourite students but he would not change his opinion of Harry Potter.

"Yes" Draco said easily, looking back at his mate.

"Harry, you don't have to decide now. You can take your time..." mumbled Sirius, sounding as if he would like nothing better than to pretend the whole scenario wasn't happening.

"I guess..." Harry muttered uncertainly.

"Perfect" interrupted Dumbledore, looking pointedly at Sirius, who blushed slightly at the silent rebuke.

"Albus, what will you do about Mr. Malfoy? After all, you can't let a Veela stay unprotected in the school" pondered McGonagall, voicing a question that she had been meaning to ask since she had found out about Draco Malfoy's condition.

"Draco will be given his own room and study. There's also an en-suite bathroom, if I remember correctly... yes, it's behind the painting of Merlin on the top floor of the abandoned Tower" Dumbledore said thoughtfully, a wizened finger stroking his chin through the long, white beard. The half-moon spectacles slipped down the crooked nose as he peered at the Veela with joyous blue eyes. Draco was unnerved to see that the old man found the whole situation hilarious.

Draco moved his head in a gesture of superior acceptance, which seemed to make Dumbledore's perceptive eyes twinkle even more but he ignored then, focusing instead on the dazed Gryffindor before him. He vaguely noticed that McGonagall's feathers seemed to have been ruffled by his lack of respect towards a man many people considered to be the most powerful wizard in existence.

"Of course...oh, I believe that we had better leave the pair of you to discuss your...relationship" Dumbledore added, moving quickly towards the door with an agility surprising for such an old man, and forcing everyone else to leave, much to Sirius's chagrin, as the animagus was clearly against the idea of leaving his virtuous godson with a Veela, and Lucius Malfoy's son at that.

Harry gulped, wondering why he always had to get himself in impossible situations and why Dumbledore, as usual, made him unable to protest. He watched uneasily as Draco moved to sit down on the chair next to him again, the Veela's eyes strangely calculating as they watched him. Harry shivered, unsure of what to say.

"I know that you are uncomfortable with this situation and I just have to say that I will try to control myself. However, there will be times when the desire will get too strong for me to control" Draco finally said.

"What will happen then" asked Harry softly, somehow knowing but wanting to hear it out loud to try and make everything seem a little more realistic.

"I am most likely to try and pounce on you. If I go too far, stop me immediately" the answer was soft, the warning unmistakably clear.

"Thank you for warning me," Harry managed to choke out, looking at the floor.

"Just don't shut me out. I'd like to get to know you, Harry. I can manage with just friendship for now" Draco said evenly, his voice not showing the trepidation he felt at the thought of Harry rejecting him. Even the considering the possibility made Draco's heart ache.

"I'd like that" smiled Harry weakly, realising that that was the only easy way out he was likely to receive. It was obvious that he would obtain no help from his Professors, and the Headmaster was holding Sirius at bay.

A small smile flitted across Draco's lips, making the cold face transform into a thing of beauty before the usual cold mask fell into place. Harry shoved the thought that the other boy looked better when he smiled to the back of his mind. He didn't need to make the situation even worse by considering the other boy attractive, even if he was a Veela and even if Harry was his mate.

"I won't ever give up trying to seduce you" Draco smirked, after a while.

Harry laughed, finding his honesty amusing. He was glad that at least the other boy was being open with him. He doubted that he would ever understand the boy – his emotions changed constantly.

"Just don't force me to..." Harry broke off, his face turned so red that even the tips of his ears burned. He couldn't believe that he was discussing his love life with Draco Malfoy of all people.

"I know."

"How" asked Harry, stunned.

"I can tell by your scent. You're so innocent...so pure – it's addictive" Draco confessed, voice dropping an octave and gaining a distinctive purr.

Harry blushed even more, if it was possible. He was mortified. Draco Malfoy knew that he was a virgin, and had done for some time, and it was obvious that the Veela was flirting with him. Even Harry, however dense he may be to most sexual advances, understood that.

"Don't be embarrassed" Draco smirked"I intend to ravish you soon."

Harry choked, hastily moving his eyes to Fawkes, who had been strangely silent during the whole meeting. The Phoenix merely eyed him calmly, and almost seemed amused; if Harry knew that it was possible for a bird to be amused, but then again, this was the wizarding world and Fawkes was a magical creature…

Draco gave a triumphant smirk at the way his mate was avoiding him, pleased with the success he appeared to be having. He leaned over quickly, slowly brushing his lips tenderly over Harry's for a moment before tugging at the full lower lip. Harry appeared to be too stunned to move or stop him so he decided to deepen the kiss, fighting back a moan as he tasted the scent that had been driving him crazy since his Inheritance – the smell of perfection.

After regaining his senses Harry pulled away, green eyes wide with disbelief and astonishment. Draco carefully looked into his eyes, clearly pleased by his reaction, and slightly embarrassed by the tenderness he had just displayed so openly.

"Just don't go out with anyone else unless you want me to kill him or her" he said finally.

Harry nodded in a daze, knowing that it was no idle threat. Draco Malfoy had claimed him as his future mate and he would not stand competition. He was after all, a Malfoy, and Malfoys did not share, in any circumstances.

"Especially that Irish prat" Draco snarled, suddenly remembering something else which had been aggravating him for some time.

"Seamus" gasped Harry, regaining enough composure to reply to Draco's warning, but still not understanding why Draco would consider Seamus Finnigan a threat. Seamus was harmless – if a little too friendly at times, but that was how he was.

"He's been after you! I can tell by the way he looks at you, the way he tries to touch you...I nearly killed him the other day when he was drooling over you" Draco snapped, voice filled with irritation as he realised that Harry didn't believe that Seamus was after him.

"Seamus" Harry repeated.

"Yes"

"But Seamus doesn't like me like that!" Harry argued obstinately.

"Harry, that prat has been after you for years... it's practically Hogwarts news that he wants to be the Boyfriend of the Boy Who Lived" spat Draco, jealousy burning in his eyes.

"But he hasn't..." Harry continued to argue.

"You have to be the most exasperatingly imperceptive person I have ever met," Draco interrupted, sparks clashing in his eyes and his mouth narrowing to a thin line.

"Excuse me, but you're the one saying that my friend is trying to seduce me" spat Harry.

"And you're the one too dense to see it"

"Well, I'm glad that is sorted" called Dumbledore, suddenly appearing into the room.

Harry blinked, looking up to see Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus staring at them with a mixture of amusement and slight horror. Harry felt relived to see them, as it meant that he could stop the stupid conversation with an overprotective, jealous male Veela, who was now going to try and seduce him, or as Draco had warned, pounce on him.

"You will both return to your rooms, Draco to his new tower and Harry to the Gryffindor Tower. Harry, I think that you need to have a decent night's sleep" suggested Dumbledore, calmly, ignoring the fact that he had just interrupted a dispute between the two.

"But I want to talk to Sirius" Harry argued, looking at Sirius with pleading eyes.

"Sirius will be here for a few weeks, walking through the school as Padfoot of course" Dumbledore soothed.

"Really" asked Harry, looking relieved to have his godfather's protection.

After all, he would be able to prevent Draco Malfoy from attacking him, unless of course, Sirius pounced on Malfoy he thought with a grin, remembering Sirius' attraction to the Veela from earlier in the meeting. A grin sprang to his face as he hastily turned his laughter into coughs.

Everyone eyed him curiously and he shook his head wildly to show that he was all right. Draco smirked, obviously realising what Harry was thinking.

"Can I go" Harry asked finally, avoiding Draco's eyes like the plague.

"Of course, Potter" said McGonagall, who had just stepped into the room and clearly didn't like the idea of her Seeker being tied down to a Veela, and a Slytherin Veela at that.

As if in a daze, Harry stood up and left the room, ignoring the concerned glances aimed his way. Malfoy sighed, raking a hand through his hair. He sat down, a thoughtful expression on his face before a triumphant smirk adorned his face. Sirius was instantly suspicious.

"He seemed susceptible to my intentions."

Sirius choked.

"I'll get him" Draco smirked.

"He won't be easy to get" Remus added, avoiding Sirius's condemning eyes. He knew more about Veela's than Sirius, due to research on magical creatures like himself. He knew that Draco Malfoy was unable to harm his mate, and would protect him with his own life is necessary. Harry was safe.

"You are right, of course, but I will in the end, and I have the patience to wait until he falls for my charms," Draco shrugged.

"He won't fall for you that easily," Dumbledore warned him, idly summoning a tray of tea.

"I already knew that," Draco snapped, eyes narrowing at the slight reproach he heard in the older man's voice.

"What was your disagreement about?" Remus asked, curious. They had overheard a few words, but had interrupted on hearing the raised voices, not wanting to have the two argue and fall out before they could start to repair their relationship.

"Harry was oblivious to Finnigan's intentions towards him. I merely stated the truth," Draco said simply, voice arrogant.

"Seamus Finnigan?" Remus and Sirius asked in unison, looking surprised.

"Yes."

"Harry's never mentioned him, accept as a friend," Remus tried to soothe the irate Veela.

Draco, sensing his intentions, scowled.

"He may well have only considered Finnigan as a friend but the entire school is aware of the fact that the conniving bastard has been indiscreetly trying to persuade Harry into his bed for the past year, and he will soon be informed that if he so much as stares too long at my mate then he will be physically unable to reproduce due to the loss of a certain body part."

Sirius spat out the tea he had just sipped from the cup Dumbledore had offered him, coughing loudly. Remus sighed, rolled his eyes childishly, and thumped his friend on the back – hard.

"Castrated" he choked.

"Magic is capable of many things" smirked Draco, his warning deliberately vague to avoid punishment but the veiled threat was obvious.

"Mr. Malfoy, I will not tolerate threats to members of my House" snapped McGonagall, sending Snape, who was sitting beside her, a dark look.

Snape just barely fought down the smirk rising on his face. Dumbledore beamed at them, clearly not bothered by the fact that a student was threatening to maim another student. After all, Draco Malfoy was within his rights as a Veela to protect and fight for the person he wanted as his mate.

'It should be amusing,' he thought idly, 'and a welcome break from the disasters Voldemort is sure to bring.'

"Draco" scolded Dumbledore with a smile after seeing the glare Minerva aimed his way.

"I believe that I have not done anything which you can punish me for. I am well within my rights to fight for my mate, as I am sure you are aware. Not one wizard will condemn me for competing for my mate's affections."

"That may apply to life outside of Hogwarts but any child here is under the school's protection," Minerva said tartly.

Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Surely you will not object to me warning other school acquaintances of my condition, and the potential threat which may be aimed their way should they not immediately dismiss the urge to seduce and take what is by law mine to take. If Harry is even touched in an intimate way, especially should he give his virginity to someone other than myself, then I will not even try to control my wrath. The Veela blood flowing through my veins will simply take control, and I will be unable to stop it, and neither would I wish to stop it."

"We are quite aware of the Veela's possessive nature" Snape snapped, a look of revulsion on his face at the thought of his favourite student mating with Harry Potter.

Draco smirked, amused with his Potion's Professor's conflicting emotions. It was clear to Draco, even if it wasn't to the other occupants in the room, that Snape would try to help him pursue his mate, even though he detested Harry as much as he had James Potter.

Draco's mind drifted to his potential mate.

'How does one seduce a Gryffindor?' he thought to himself. 'I could try the subtle romance, the cliché flowers and chocolates, but... that nipple ring... mmm... maybe I could just try to kiss him, or maybe give him a little accidental caress - that was definitely worth thinking about...'

"Draco" yelled Dumbledore quickly.

Draco Malfoy, heir to the Malfoy fortune, couldn't help the blush which spread across his pale features.

Harry made his way to the portrait of the Fat Lady. He stared at her for a moment, lost in thought, his mind reeling from what he had just learned and the way his life seemed to have taken an unexpected twist in the wrong direction. He barely heard her when she asked him for the password, frowning at his lack of attention.

She coughed.

"Oh! Greasy hair" he mumbled finally.

She gave him a concerned look before opening the portrait. She seemed to have a motherly affection for all of her Gryffindors, particularly Harry, who reminded her of his father and the Marauders, whom she had often covered up for on their expeditions out of the Tower at night. Harry stumbled inside easily; not hearing her concerned mutters about how some people needed more sleep.

Harry entered the Gryffindor Common Room in a daze. He made his way automatically to the sofa where Ron and Hermione were sitting, finishing their Transfiguration essay, which was due the next day. They looked up in apprehension, noticing the almost revolted look on their best friend's face.

At first they didn't say anything but Hermione soon bit her lip, unable to prevent questioning her friend to find out what was going on. After all, she had never seen Harry in such a state before. What on earth had happened to him?

"Harry? What did Dumbledore say" asked Hermione gently, pulling Harry to sit beside her.

Harry stared at her in silence for a moment until he answered.

"Malfoy" he finally spat, horror obvious in his voice.

The Common Room fell silent as the Gryffindors waited for Harry's explanation, not used to hearing such venom in their friend's voice, but knowing that whatever Malfoy had done this time had gone to far.

* * *

**End of chapter 2.**

**Please review.**


	3. chapter 3

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

* * *

**Reactions of the Gryffindors: Chapter 3**

****

"Malfoy" he finally spat, horror obvious in his voice.

The Common Room fell silent as the Gryffindors waited for Harry's explanation, not used to hearing such venom in their friend's voice and knowing that whatever Malfoy had done this time had gone too far.

"What about him" asked Ron, clearly wanting to know what the 'Prince of Slytherin' as he was nicknamed, had done to Harry this time, as was the rest of the Common Room.

"How much do you know about Veelas?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling drained. It had been a tiring day, and Harry longed to go to sleep but he knew that the other Gryffindors wouldn't let him leave without explaining his outburst first. He couldn't resent them for it. After all, they were merely concerned about him.

"They are magical creatures which attract the human race with their beauty and aura," Hermione quoted off the top of her head, no doubt from one of the many textbooks she read for 'light' reading.

"Like what we met at the world cup?" Ron asked, confused about why the conversation had moved from Draco Malfoy to a study session on Veela.

"Yes – No…Well, part Veela," Harry corrected.

"Part Veela?" Hermione mused thoughtfully. "They are powerful, incredibly powerful in fact, and they inherit the Veela's beauty, but they don't inherit the transformation process which occurs when a full Veela gets angry."

Harry nodded.

"Do you know anything about their mates?" he asked.

He watched as Hermione's quick mind processed all the information she had been given before she came to the most logical conclusion. The widening of her intelligent brown eyes, and the disbelief present within them, made Harry wince.

"They fall in love with a human – kind of like a fairy tale, I guess," Ginny said softly, remembering the stories her parents had told her when she had been a little girl.

"Well this isn't a fairy tale," Harry muttered.

"Harry, mate, you've lost me," Ron sighed, running a pale, freckled hand through his red hair, making it stand on end.

"It's about Malfoy. When I went to Dumbledore, as McGonagall told me to, I found Snuffles, Remus, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Malfoy already inside."

"Why was Malfoy there?" Seamus interrupted.

Dean elbowed the Irish boy, glaring at him to make sure he stayed silent. He knew that Seamus would distract Harry from his story constantly if he wasn't restrained from the beginning.

"Malfoy's a Part Veela," Harry confessed, waiting for their reactions.

At first they didn't seem to believe him. Ron and several of the other Gryffindor boys laughed while the girls looked intrigued, no doubt liking the fact that a Veela was living on Hogwarts grounds. Ron, on seeing Harry's serious face, stopped laughing.

"A Veela" asked Ron, astonishment plainly visible.

"Part Veela" corrected Harry.

"But why did Dumbledore want to tell you that" asked Ron, eyes filled with curiosity.

Harry was about to tell him about how Dumbledore had somehow manipulated him into agreeing to being seduced by a Veela who wanted nothing better than to bond with him when he was interrupted by none other than the boy Draco was threatening to kill over him.

"You mean that Malfoy is one of the sex gods" gaped Seamus, merry eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and desire.

"No! I mean Malfoy's a... I don't know what he is... oh, God" Harry moaned, burying his head in his hands helplessly. It was pointless, he realised, hoping that they would make the same realisation as Hermione had without him actually saying it. It was so preposterous that he was Malfoy's mate that they probably wouldn't believe it unless he told them outright.

Hermione frowned, eyeing her friend in concern. She knew that Harry hated confrontations, or discussing his feelings. He was an incredibly private boy, especially since the Tri-Wizard Tournament in their fourth year.

"But what's Malfoy being a Veela got to do with you" asked Dean, perplexed.

"He's chosen a mate" Harry said hollowly.

Ron paled, not liking the tone of Harry's voice. He knew that Harry would never have told them about Malfoy if there hadn't been a reason behind it. He inwardly sighed, pitying the person who would be trapped with Draco Malfoy for the rest of their life.

"Who is it" he asked.

"Me."

At Harry's words the whole Common Room, with the exception of Hermione, erupted into laughter. Ron collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming out of his eyes. Harry stared at the ceiling, waiting for the inevitable explosion, which would occur when they realised he was being serious. As soon as the laughter stopped, he looked back at Ron.

"I'm serious Ron... he wants me to be his mate" Harry said, honesty blatant in his green eyes.

For a moment it appeared as if Ron didn't believe him. His pale blue eyes went wide with astonishment and his face paled dramatically until every single freckle was pronounced. Harry would have laughed at the sight if it weren't for the circumstances.

"But you hate him" howled Ron.

"Yeah..."

"He hates you" Ron continued, clearly still in the stage of disbelief.

"Not anymore" muttered Harry with a sigh.

"Are you sure, Harry" asked Ginny uncertainly.

"Of course I'm sure – I've just been speaking to him. Put it this way, don't leave me alone with him" Harry muttered, almost to himself.

"Bloody hell" gasped George and Fred in unison.

"His father's a Death Eater" added Ginny. "And besides, you're not gay."

"You aren't, are you mate" asked Ron in shock. Harry didn't think he could take a confession of homosexuality at that moment of time, even if the wizarding world didn't care about sexual orientation due to the fact that wizards even could marry a completely different species.

Harry shook his head, honest.

"I've never really thought about it, it's not like I expected to live long enough to even consider a serious relationship..." Harry admitted.

On seeing Hermione's eyes darken with suppressed anger, he quickly tried to prevent one of her famous lectures. Her temper terrified everyone, including the staff. Over the years she had loosened up, mainly due to her friendship with Ron and Harry who were renowned rule breakers, and developed into one of the most academically successful witches to have graced the halls of Hogwarts.

She had once, in a moment of anger, duelled Blaise Zabini in public after he had attacked Lavender Brown with a hex which caused her entire body to be covered in huge, painful boils. She had won by miles and, even with muggle parents, she was one hell of a witch.

"Dumbledore asked me whether I preferred girls or boys" he added. "But I don't know..."

"So you don't know whether you're gay" gaped Colin Creevey, who was clearly enthralled by Harry's tale.

"I don't really care at the moment - you've got to save me from Malfoy! You should have seen him when he saw my..." Harry broke off with a blush.

"Saw what" grinned Fred, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, a leer spreading on his face.

"Yes... what...? Oh" gasped Hermione.

"Yes that, and you never said it had a Veela repellent charm on it" accused Harry, turning to face her.

Hermione blushed in shame, avoiding Harry's eyes, her gaze moving to stare hesitantly at Ron, who, as ever, remained oblivious to her scrutiny.

"Why the hell did you show him that" huffed Ron in shock, clearly not liking the idea of his best friend stripping for a Veela, missing the fact that it had a Veela repellent charm on it completely. It was clear that his mind was fixed on the fact that Draco Malfoy was trying to seduce his best friend, not the fact that his other best friend had sensibly tried to prevent that from happening, even without their knowledge.

"Dumbledore made me show Snuffles my stud. You should have seen him. I think McGonagall's going to make us take them out, though" Harry thought, remembering her disapproving face.

"McGonagall" shrieked Hermione.

"What the hell did they say" gaped Ron, paling at the thought.

"Well...Snuffles didn't believe it, Remus gaped, Snape smirked, McGonagall frowned, Dumbledore laughed and Malfoy... well..."

"Too much information" Ron moaned, burying his face in his hands.

"What are you going on about" snapped Ginny, obviously annoyed at being left out of their conversation.

"We went to a muggle tattoo parlour and I dared them both to have their nipples pierced" grinned Hermione, giggling when the pair both blushed.

"What?"

"When"

"Wicked"

The Gryffindors stared at the two boys, clearly not believing it. They all knew that Harry was old fashioned and didn't really consider his appearance. As long as he was dressed in clean clothes, he didn't care what he wore – mainly because Ron was the same. Hermione placed her hand on Harry's arm in an almost motherly gesture.

"What exactly did Dumbledore say, Harry" she asked.

"Basically, Malfoy's going to try to seduce me. He's chosen me as his mate and wants to bond with me. He has come into his Inheritance; something about his attraction charms kicking in, and found out he liked me. He says that's why he's been avoiding us" Harry explained.

"Seduce you" croaked Neville, clearly terrified at the prospect. He eyed Harry in sympathy. Harry wondered idly what Neville would have reacted like had Harry been Snape's mate. Harry felt nauseous at the very thought and hastily blocked it out of his mind.

"Yeah..." Harry answered weakly.

"Bloody hell" swore Dean.

"It's not fair! I mean, Harry's like one of the sexiest guys at Hogwarts, and now we've lost him and Malfoy" complained Parvati, not even bothered by the fact that the object of her comment was listening to her.

"You can have him" Harry yelled, making everyone jump.

"Harry, you need to calm down mate, there's got to be something we can do..." began Ron, his voice almost desperate.

"There isn't. He said he won't give up until he has me" Harry complained bitterly.

"What about his father" queried Hermione, curious.

"He says that he has his Grandfather's money and mansion, so he's all right financially. You should have seen him 'Mione, he was... well... possessive, I guess. He shouted that he wouldn't let his father touch me..." Harry said softly, frowning at the memory.

"Possessive" blinked Seamus, clearly not liking the idea of Harry being bonded to Draco Malfoy.

"Yeah. He said he wouldn't share me as well..." mumbled Harry, blushing.

"Why should you listen to him" argued Ron.

"Ron! You never make a Veela angry! He's likely to kill you if you try to touch Harry. He'll go ballistic if Harry dates anyone else" snapped Hermione, remembering what they had learnt about Veela in class, and the extra books she had read from the library.

"I guess you're stuck with him then" mused Dean, clearly seeing no way out.

"I don't have to accept him though, I can fight it, but he won't give up. He'll probably haunt me for the rest of my life" Harry moaned, remembering the possessive look in Malfoy's eyes.

"He didn't... well... he can't try to... you know..." asked Lavender suddenly, blushing crimson.

"He's already kissed me! Can you imagine what will happen if I'm alone with him again" spat Harry angrily, clearly frustrated by the entire thing.

"What" gaped Ron in shock. Harry had forgotten to tell them that detail.

"He kissed me"

"Bloody hell" said Seamus, now staring at Harry's lips with an almost dazed expression, jealousy clear to see.

Hermione frowned. Unlike most of the school, she knew that Harry was completely innocent and wanted real love, not meaningless affairs. She had been astounded at how Harry had changed over the years. Gone was the shy boy to be replaced with a strong, good looking young man who commanded respect for both his magic and personality.

Even Hermione had to admit that even though Harry was not good with magic intellectually, he was perhaps one of the most powerful wizards to enter Hogwarts. Harry was ruthless at duelling now, after training hard with fully trained aurors and Sirius. She had even seen him once duel Dumbledore and win.

Even the Slytherins and Death Eaters were wary of him, especially as he had won the International Duelling Championship the previous year. The competition had been introduced by the Ministry to try to boost friendships between countries. Schools from all over the world had sent the most advanced and intelligent students they had to compete.

At first she had been sceptical of Harry's chances when he had been manipulated into joining by a beaming Dumbledore. However, that had rapidly changed. As soon as Harry had stepped onto the platform a sense of magic so powerful she could almost see it, erupted from Harry, scaring her.

The concentration and skill with which he had fought had been better than a man three times his age. He knew far more defence spells than she could hope to ever dream of. He had won easily. The newspapers had gone ballistic, claiming that Harry Potter would defeat the Dark Lord and once again save the wizarding world, as he was predicted to do.

Even Snape had respect for Harry, though she doubted Harry even saw this. Sometimes Harry was so naive it was unbelievable. He also knew everything...most of the time before other people. He was, to put it simply, as Sirius had once told her, the incarnation of Dumbledore. He knew things...he knew who to trust, who to hate, who to protect...He also knew who to talk to, who was afraid and it was his sense of companionship and optimism which drew people to him.

"What are we going to do" moaned Ron anxiously.

"I think you should just leave it for now, Harry. I'll have a word with him tomorrow; maybe I can get him to back away for a bit while you sort everything out. But we'll try to keep you two separated...God only knows what he'd do if he gets the chance" interrupted Hermione quickly, sensing that Ron and Seamus were about to explode any minute.

"I'm just glad I've got some protection against his Veela charm. He even made Dumbledore drool" Harry said weakly.

"Dumbledore" gaped Ron.

"Yeah... and Snape..."

"Bloody Hell" gawked Lee Jordan.

"The attraction will become stronger now, as he'll try to use it to seduce you. Even with the charm, part of the attraction will be there. Veela are almost magnetic...I wonder what Dumbledore's going to do with him. I mean, surely he can't walk around school with everyone lusting after him" wondered Hermione.

"I know, I mean, the charm thing helped but it was still there. It's almost hypnotic" Harry mused.

"He's cursed you" muttered Ron.

"Ron" shrieked Hermione, sounding annoyed.

"What" Ron asked innocently.

"He's a Veela, he can't help it."

"So? If I catch him within ten feet of Harry, I'll hex him" mumbled Ron quietly so that she wouldn't hear.

Seamus nodded in agreement, having heard Ron's comment.

"What did Snuffles say" asked Hermione, purposely ignoring Ron.

"He just told me that I had a choice" Harry sighed, remembering Sirius' words.

"I'm surprised he didn't try to kill Malfoy" snorted Ron.

"He almost did."

"How do you know" asked Hermione.

"I heard them arguing before I entered the room - believe me, it wasn't pleasant" shivered Harry.

"Who's Snuffles" asked Fred finally, clearly confused.

The rest of the Gryffindors looked the same way and Harry blushed, thinking quickly how to explain who Snuffles was without giving away Sirius' true identity. No one knew that the ex-convict was innocent, except for a small few who were sworn to secrecy.

"He's a friend of Harry's whom Harry has gotten to know...the one who's been training him" Hermione lied smoothly.

He could tell by their faces that they believed them. Harry mentally thanked Hermione and smiled lopsidedly at them, causing Seamus to lean closer. Harry shuffled away uneasily, the memory of Draco's words playing in his mind. Did Seamus fancy him? He honestly didn't think so, and in fact had never considered Seamus' attention anything but friendly flirtation, but maybe, just maybe, there was something in what Draco had claimed.

"What's wrong" asked Seamus in surprise, clearly hurt.

"Nothing... I just don't want to get him jealous..." Harry mumbled, eyeing the Irish boy warily.

"He won't know"

"Seamus, Veela can smell things. Malfoy will smell your scent over Harry easily" Hermione tutted impatiently.

"Really" asked Seamus, obviously frustrated at the fact that Harry was clearly out of bounds.

"Yes" snapped Hermione.

Everyone went silent, the full implications of the situation hitting them suddenly. Their Golden Boy was to be bonded to Draco Malfoy, a boy most despised, even if they did find him physically attractive. However, his looks weren't enough to compensate for his vicious tongue – in most cases.

"I can't believe Malfoy's a Veela" choked Seamus finally, breaking the silence.

"I can" snorted Ron. "I always said he wasn't human."

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, glaring at him angrily, and her eyes moving over to Harry who was staring forlornly at the carpet. Ron, understanding, smiled apologetically.

"He's getting his own room in a tower. Dumbledore thinks that it's safer to have him away from anyone in case his magnetic charm gets too powerful" Harry said, preventing the inevitable argument from starting between the two.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Harry fiddled with his thumbs, unsure of what to do. Ron was still clearly in a state of shock and Hermione appeared almost happy about it. Wait a minute, his mind screamed, why would Hermione be happy about Draco Malfoy trying to seduce him? At least she had not questioned him on his earlier slip.

"Why didn't you think that you'd ever have a serious relationship" asked Neville finally, clearly confused.

Harry inwardly cursed him. He had successfully deterred Hermione from asking him that and now Neville had brought the subject back up! Perfect, he thought bitterly, eyeing Neville uncertainly and with a trace of anger.

"No reason" he managed to mumble.

"Oh, Harry, why didn't you tell us..." whispered Hermione, sadness in her intelligent brown eyes as they gazed at her most loyal best friend, the one who had always stood by her no matter what.

"It's not a big deal... so I think I'm going to die..." Harry muttered self-consciously, wrapping his arms around himself as if to protect him.

Looking at Harry, Hermione finally realized the depths of the damage the Dursleys had done to him. At sixteen years old he was already prepared to die, and it appeared as if, deep down, he didn't care. At sixteen years old, Harry Potter was tired of life, tired of hiding, tired of fighting.

"You're not going to die, mate" bellowed Ron, clearly nearly ready to shake some sense into his best friend. Hermione silently applauded him for his efforts.

Harry shrugged.

"Harry... your scar hasn't been hurting you lately, has it" asked Ginny suddenly.

All eyes switched to her and Harry cursed. He had kept it a secret, revealing the information of his visions and scar to only Dumbledore and Sirius. In fact, he had never even told Hermione or Ron, fearful their possessive behaviour and almost mothering protection was going to develop into obsession for his safety. Besides, he didn't need the whole wizarding world to know that he was slowly, albeit slowly, going insane.

It had been during the previous summer while staying at the Weasley's when he had woken up from a vision. It had been the annihilation of a muggle village, he hadn't known where, and the destruction, pain, torture and death he had witnessed had terrified him.

He had stumbled downstairs, intent on getting a glass of water when he had met Ginny, and promptly collapsed into her waiting arms, pouring out his heart about the visions and the fear he had of sleeping, lest a dream transform into a night of horror.

He had sworn her to secrecy, and now she had broken it. She had told the entire Gryffindor common room that his scar had been hurting him...proving that Harry had been lying all along. Hermione and Ron would kill him!

"What does she mean, Harry" snapped Hermione, brown eyes flashing.

"Nothing" gulped Ginny, seeing her error and sending an apologetic, slightly pleading expression to Harry.

"Your scar's been hurting you? But You Know Who...He isn't near us, is he" gaped Ron in shock, his freckles blending in with his white face.

"NO! You're safe! It's nothing..." Harry yelled loudly, causing the whole room to jump in shock.

"You've lied to us! You told us that your scar hadn't been hurting you" Hermione shrieked, clearly furious that he hadn't confided in her.

"Look, it's nothing to worry about, Snuffles and Dumbledore know... no one else... apart from Ginny... and you lot now" protested Harry.

"In what way has it been hurting" asked Hermione insistently.

Harry saw red.

"For God's sake! Do you have to know everything? Can't you accept the fact that I'd prefer to keep something to myself? I can cope! I'm not a child anymore, Hermione, I've never been a child! I grew up on my own, and I can deal with things myself. I've never had a mother and I don't need one now" Harry hissed poisonously, his green eyes glowing furiously.

The Gryffindors sat in a daze, unsure of what to say or do. They had never seen Harry like this before. This wasn't Harry. This was somebody else, a stranger. Sure, Harry had often reacted violently when provoked, but it was rare that he was angry at his best friends, whom he confided almost everything to.

"You can't shut us out" said Hermione, fear beginning to enter her eyes, although she knew she had to try and persuade it out of Harry.

"Fine, do you want the truth? Do you want to know why I've not told you? I've been protecting you! All of you! I couldn't cope with your pity, Hermione, and I never will. What do you want me to do? Write to Rita Skeeter and confess that their Golden Boy is actually going mad" raged Harry, his body tensing with fury.

Hermione paled at the anger in his voice, never having it direct towards herself so vioeltnyl before.

"That's right Hermione? Do you really want to know? Fine! Every night when I close my eyes I see him... Voldemort... sometimes its one person... sometimes it's a group and sometimes its hundreds. Night after night I watch them die, slowly! Do you know what its like to watch women, men, children being tortured? I've seen death Hermione... death every night… Why the hell do you think that the aurors are actually able to attack Voldemort? We're connected! I can see him, but he can't see me! I've been giving the aurors tips and evidence for the past two years"

Finally Harry collapsed onto the sofa, all energy drained out of him. No one spoke or moved and it was Ginny that moved forwards, wrapping her arms around him and drawing him close in just the same way as she had done that night.

"I'm so sorry Harry" she whispered uncertainly, unsure of how to apologise to the boy she had idolized for years and now loved as a brother.

Harry didn't answer, but buried his face into the hollow of her throat, his breathing ragged and fast. Hermione suddenly moved forward, hesitantly stroking his back. No one else moved until Harry pulled away, his face once again composed and serene.

'How much is the mask?' Hermione thought. 'Why did I never notice how Harry tried to block his emotions? He doesn't even realise he's doing it...'

"I'm sorry" she said out loud.

Harry nodded, avoiding her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us" asked Ron softly, unsure of what to say.

"I was ok... I mean Dumbledore and Snuffles talk to me. They have this Pensieve which I use every night to show them my dreams. Snuffles nearly fainted when he first realised what I saw... Only them and one auror actually know that...you have to promise to keep it a secret... please" Harry whispered.

The Gryffindor's nodded but Harry didn't look convinced. Peter Pettigrew, his parent's best friend had betrayed him and he didn't doubt that it would happen again to him.

"Secreta monissssss nemetaire silenciousss" he hissed suddenly, his voice turning the words into parseltongue so that only he knew what he had said.

A faint blue light erupted around the room, covering everyone until it finally ended with Harry, entering his body and burning gold before it disappeared.

"What did you just do" Hermione asked uncertainly, having never heard of such a spell before, even if it was in Parseltongue.

"It's a spell. You will never be able to say anything about my scar to anyone. No one will ever get the information from you, not even if they torture you or use Veritaserum" Harry said truthfully.

Hermione blinked, surprised. She had never read about such a spell before.

"But that's impossible" argued Ron.

"Not anymore. It's a new spell and you will never be able to remind yourself of it within ten minutes. You will know, deep down, what I have told you and done but you will never be able to tell anyone the truth. The spell silences your mind" Harry said simply.

"How did you learn it" asked Lavender.

"I was taught it" Harry said with a lopsided smile, effectively changing the conversation to Quidditch within minutes.

Only Hermione watched him with a frown, her mind silently remembering everything Harry had told her. She suddenly realised that she didn't know her best friend as well as she thought she had. How long had Harry been hurting emotionally, without confiding in everyone?

Maybe, just maybe, Draco Malfoy would be a blessing for once. The Veela bond would protect Harry, and she had no doubt that Draco Malfoy would protect what was his. Malfoy was known for being selfish, and wouldn't share Harry. She smiled. It would all turn out for the best, she thought, relieved; Harry would have someone there for him and to share the burden of fighting Voldemort. Harry would be loved as he craved to be loved.

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**End of chapter 3.**

**Please review. **


	4. chapter 4

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

* * *

**Flirtation and Protection:**

Sirius stared into the mug of coffee cradled in his hands. Last night he and Remus had gone straight to bed, not talking about what they had discovered earlier that day, much to his relief. He didn't know what to say.

His godson was the mate of Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, who was a well known Death Eater in Voldemort's Inner Circle, and Dumbledore, for some peculiar reason foreign to Sirius, seemed to approve of the match – hell, the old man was almost forcing the two boys to spend time together.

"Sirius?"

"Hmm?"

Sirius lifted surprised blue eyes, eyes still faded from years locked away with only the thought of his own innocence to keep him sane, not having noticed Remus' presence.

"Are you alright?"

"No," Sirius confessed, knowing by now that Remus would see straight through his lies. The werewolf had always known when people were lying, especially him.

"Just leave it, Sirius. Dumbledore knows what he is doing."

"Does he, Remus? Honestly? Could you see Harry being happy with Draco Malfoy? They hate each other!"

A soft smile flittered across Remus' face; carefully making sure to hide the sadness he knew would be present in his voice and expression. He had never known any love, but he had been hated. He had repeated the quote to himself, constantly, as a child, after another bout of taunts and fearful looks aimed in his direction whenever anyone discovered what he really was.

"There's a fine line between love and hate," he quoted the familiar words.

Sirius paled, staring at his friend in disbelief, not noticing the sadness in his friend's voice, which relieved Remus. He didn't want to explain himself, knowing that Sirius would try to persuade him to ignore those that hurt him. It was easier said than done.

"What?" he finally shrieked.

Remus laughed out loud at Sirius' expression before calming starting to prepare breakfast for them both, pretending not to notice the glares aimed in his direction by the disgruntled animagus.

It was about five o'clock the next morning when Harry awoke, feeling the first rays of the sun's dim morning light flitter across his face. He blinked sleepily, his eyesight blurred, as he had taken his contacts out. He sighed softly, until his mind wandered to the dream he had. He had dreamed that he was being seduced by Draco Malfoy.

"Barmy" he mumbled, stumbling out of bed towards the shower.

He showered lazily, relaxing under the water, a luxury when one shared a dorm with four other teenage boys. He carefully washed his hair, making sure to avoid letting the shampoo run into his eyes, before rinsing.

As he stood in front of the mirror, dressed in just a towel, his mind came into focus and he barely prevented the scream from escaping his mouth. It hadn't been a dream. Draco Malfoy was trying to seduce him! Draco Malfoy was a Veela and wanted to mate with him.

An image of the silver eyed Veela came into his mind, along with the memory of the soft kiss. It had been his first kiss. Draco Malfoy had stolen his first kiss. Only two days ago that thought would have made him laugh hysterically but now a feeling of dread entered him. He had a powerful male Veela trying to mate with him. It was going to be a disaster, he knew it.

"Bloody hell" he swore softly.

He hastily changed into the uniform that he had been wearing ever since his first year at Hogwarts. As he tried to comb his wild hair into some semblance of control, he wondered just how he was going to avoid Draco that day, especially as Dumbledore's new friendly inter-house relationship idea had somehow meant that Gryffindors and Slytherins shared nearly every class together. Harry wondered idly yet again whether Dumbledore actually wanted him to survive his sixth year at Hogwarts, even without any interference from Voldemort.

He finally left the dormitory silently, not bothering to wake up the other boys in the room, as it was still early. They never woke up until seven o'clock and had all agreed publicly that Harry was losing it when he had first started waking up early. Harry had had to convince Hermione that he wasn't ill. He had started waking up earlier to try to get used to having less sleeping time. Sirius had warned him about needing less sleep if he ended up in the middle of the war after he graduated.

'Why do I always somehow get myself into a mess?' he thought sadly.

As he entered the Common Room, he was surprised by the fact that there was someone in there already, a boy with silver eyes who watched him intently from a red sofa next to the fireplace, lean figure sprawled out casually as if he had done so numerous times before.

"Hi" Harry croaked out.

"Morning" Draco replied easily, standing up gracefully in one fluid motion.

"What are you doing here" asked Harry, forcing his voice to remain neutral so that it wouldn't show any of the inner turmoil he was feeling.

"Dumbledore gave me the password after you left. He assumed that you had already told the Gryffindors" was the answer.

Harry weakly nodded.

"Good. I came to escort you to breakfast" Draco smiled charmingly, flashing perfect white teeth.

Harry gulped, edging nervously away from the blond. Draco sighed impatiently and grabbed his arm, effectively dragging him through the portrait and out into the corridor. He didn't let go, and Harry was alarmed to find that the hand holding him was strong yet gentle, the fingers almost caressing the bare skin of his arm.

"Why" Harry finally managed to ask.

"I woke up early, so I decided to come and wait for you. It isn't a crime, is it? After all, I thought I'd save you from the early morning Gryffindor dumbness as Weasel finally realises that it wasn't a dream" Draco smirked inwardly, finding his mate's incoherence amusing.

Harry gulped audibly.

"Besides, it isn't as if I need an excuse to visit you. I plan on spending more time with you - Dumbledore agreed that we should get to know one another first" Draco continued arguing, knowing that Harry would not go against the man he respected.

"Figures..." muttered Harry quietly.

"We have Medical Magics first" Draco added.

Magical Magics was a new class, which had been added in Harry's fifth year. It was a class devoted to fixing wounds, healing charms, and potions devoted to healing. Harry had guessed correctly that Dumbledore was preparing the students for war. It was no big surprise to anyone that Harry was at the top of the class, due to having a natural gift with healing, which perhaps had something to do with the fact that he was the most frequent visitor to the Infirmary after the Weasley twins and the Marauders.

"Did you do your homework" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

"Of course, but I know for a fact that it won't be anywhere near the standard yours will be. You will have to give it to me to read it in the Hall" Draco smirked, eyes glinting mischievously, watching Harry blush at the compliment.

They were soon near the Great Hall. As they stepped inside Harry was relieved to see only a few students, as well as the teachers. Harry made his way to the Gryffindor Table, forgetting about Draco until the boy sat down next to him.

Harry gaped. He had never known a Slytherin student to ever sit at the Gryffindor Table. Harry wondered whether it was against school rules.

"What are you doing" he hissed, suddenly noticing that they were attracting attention.

"Eating breakfast with you. I don't intend to sit across the room from you when I can sit next to you" came the reply, the voice coated in innocence as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

Harry blushed uncomfortably, shifting slightly away from the Veela. He was entirely aware of the disbelieving stares from most of the staff and all of the students present. In fact, the only people who didn't look surprised were Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall.

Harry quickly picked up a piece of toast and began to eat; he watched thankfully as the Veela promptly did the same. It was an uneasy silence as more and more students wandered in, staring in disbelief at the couple at the empty Gryffindor table, whom they had thought were still rivals.

Twenty minutes later there was a huge babble of noise and then nearly the whole of the Gryffindor house swarmed in, led by a frantic Ron. Ron rushed towards Harry, stopping abruptly when he noticed the boy by his side. His face paled considerably.

"Malfoy" he managed to choke out, the usual loathing still present.

"Weasley" drawled Draco easily, smirking.

"Harry, Draco" called Hermione's voice as she sat opposite the two seating boys, her intelligent brown eyes filled with calmness.

"'Mione" Harry breathed in relief, shooting Ron a concerned look.

Ron promptly sat next to Hermione, eyeing Harry in sympathy. Hermione rolled her eyes in frustration before helping herself to her breakfast. Gradually the other Gryffindors sat down; Seamus next to Harry, much to Draco's disgust, and Fred next to Draco.

"Have a nice sleep, Harry" asked Seamus in his thick Irish brogue.

"Er...I guess" Harry answered uneasily, shooting Draco warning looks.

The Hall was still silent, the students watching the small group intently. To everyone except Harry, Draco Malfoy appeared calm and unruffled, but the Veela's eyes were dark with barely controlled fury as they fixed on the boy next to Harry.

"Why are you so interested, Finnigan" he sneered.

"I was worried that he might have had nightmares" grinned Seamus innocently - too innocently, Draco thought.

"And what, may I ask, have Harry's nightmares got to do with you" he spat out.

"Harry's my dorm mate" smirked Seamus cheerfully, winking at Harry.

Seamus leaned lightly over Harry, making sure to brush his shoulder, eyeing the Veela through lowered lashes to hide the devious expression in his eyes from view, and Draco lost it. He had had enough of the Irish prat trying to seduce his mate. Harry was his!

"You little..." started Draco, intent on yelling and screaming.

"Malfoy" Harry cried angrily, a warning in his voice.

"I'll behave" answered Draco calmly, fighting the urge to murder Seamus for daring to touch his Harry. He could feel his Veela blood trying to take control, urging him to protect his mate from danger.

"Good" said Harry, relaxing instantly.

"If he moves" added Draco firmly.

"No way" smiled Seamus.

"You little Irish bastard."

"Malfoy" snapped Harry, quickly placing his hand over his mouth to stop him from swearing and making a scene. The last thing Harry needed was for the entire school to be discussing the latest episode of Harry Potter's life.

To Draco, the touch of Harry's skin on his own was too much. He had been fighting the Veela pull since his Inheritance and had forced himself to ignore it, but knowing that his mate was so close, so near, was mental and emotional torture. Draco caved in, needing to physically feel his mate to reassure himself that Harry was his.

Harry was not prepared for Draco lightly sucking at his fingers and nibbling at his palm. He jolted in shock and tried to pull away but the Veela prevented it. Draco possessively wrapped an arm around Harry, who silently pleaded with his eyes to a dumbstruck Ron and Hermione for help. They didn't move.

Draco lightly slipped a hand to caress Harry's back soothingly as his lips assaulted his neck, sucking at the soft skin and leaving red marks where he had sucked too hard. Harry yelped as teeth grazed his skin, silently begging Hermione to stop the Veela before it went too far.

However, it appeared as if everyone was too astounded to do anything. Even the Slytherins were deathly silent, watching the whole scene with barely concealed horror and anger. Harry struggled wildly but this seemed to make Draco worse, and his Veela charm switched on. Harry felt the same magnetic pull and never even noticed when Draco's lips pressed against his own, claiming him utterly and completely in front of the entire school.

"Mr. Malfoy" called Dumbledore suddenly, his voice sounding as if it came from far away to the dazed kissers.

Thankfully, the voice must have entered Draco's mind as he slowed down the kiss and brought it to an end. He lightly licked Harry's swollen lips before releasing him, his left arm staying entwined around his waist as he shot a smug look at the stunned Irish boy next to Harry. The possessive gesture made even Ron look at Malfoy strangely. Draco Malfoy was jealous of Seamus Finnigan.

Harry felt himself jolt to his senses. He stared numbly at Draco, his face paling as he realised that the entire school now knew about their relationship – if you could call it a relationship, as Harry considered it all one-sided on Draco's part.

Suddenly there was a loud shriek, and before Harry could move a hand came flying at him and slapped him across the face, sending his head reeling. The sickening crack echoed around the room before Draco leapt up, eyes fixing on Pansy Parkinson who was trembling with a mixture of horror, fear, and fury.

"You little whore! Parkinson, what on earth did you hope to achieve by that little stunt" he hissed, reaching for his wand, his only thought to punish the person who had harmed his mate in order to get revenge.

"Mr. Malfoy" yelled Dumbledore, rushing forwards with Snape to try and control the angry Veela.

Harry stared at Pansy in shock, a vivid red handprint on his cheek and a trickle of blood trickling from his nose. He had known that Pansy wanted Draco Malfoy as her husband but he had never considered her capable of losing control like that.

He vaguely felt Hermione rushing towards him, and hastily pressed his handkerchief to his nose to stop the flow of blood, which was rapidly increasing at an alarming rate.

"I can't believe you were kissing Potter" screeched Pansy hysterically.

"And since when, Parkinson, have my actions ever needed to be approved by you?" Draco spat, eyes cold and hard.

"It's Potter! A boy! The Boy Who Lived! Stupid, ugly…"

Snape hastily gripped Draco's arms to prevent him from lunging at Pansy, noticing the murderous gleam in his eyes. Veela were protective, severely so, and Draco would not rest until he had taken revenge for his mate, of that Severus was certain.

"I can assure you that Harry is in fact completely a boy, much to my satisfaction, and can I also remind you that he won the International Duelling Competition? Your ludicrous words of scorn are complete and utter fabrication. As if a Malfoy would bind themselves to anyone less than perfect in appearance, intellect and power!"

"You're gay," she screeched, outraged.

"I have no problem admitting my preference," Draco hissed arrogantly.

"You're a Malfoy – Malfoys aren't gay," Pansy shrieked.

"I can assure you that they have been and are."

"He's the Boy Who Lived"

"Fascinating," Draco mocked, trying to reach for his wand, which Dumbledore seemed to have managed to collect.

"You're supposed to hate him!"

"Why? Unlike you, Parkinson, I have never admitted to wanting to spend the rest of my life as a slave to a half blood who's completely and utterly deranged and infatuated with a boy who he can't even kill. Tell me, Parkinson, how powerful is Voldemort when he can't even kill a barely two year old baby?"

"You! That's…! How..?" Pansy, for once, seemed totally lost for words.

"I hate to disappoint you, darling," the endearment was filled with loathing and was meant to mock her, not as a sign of affection, "but I never even conveyed any ideas to you about a potential marriage arrangement between us, no matter what your family seemed to think."

"But your father will " argued Pansy obstinately.

"Will leave both myself and Harry alone unless he wants the Ministry to find out certain things" spat Draco.

Pansy gaped in shock, clearly not believing that Draco Malfoy was threatening to hand his own father over to the Ministry if he objected to Draco being with Harry Potter. Malfoys were extremely loyal and abided by their name until death. Everyone knew that to betray a Malfoy meant trouble, particularly if the betrayal was within the family.

'Voldemort would kill him as well', she thought wildly.

She didn't understand what had happened to change the boy she had always believed she would marry. She had grown up in love with the idea of marrying the rich, famous and intelligent Draco Malfoy, to unite their two pureblood families together. She had considered them to be as close as a Slytherin couple could be.

The fact that the marriage wouldn't take place had been enough to break down all of her self-control. The thought of Draco turning her down for Potter made her want to scream at the injustice of life. She was everything a man could hope to marry! She was excellent at being a hostess, charming and sociable – everything a pureblooded wife was expected to be.

It was humiliating to be tossed aside for a halfblood – and a boy at that. She would be laughed at throughout the wizarding world for telling everyone about her future marriage to a boy who didn't even like her gender.

"But you can't! You're promised to marry me" she screamed, her face twisting in fury.

"My father never arranged such a absurd match, but I assure you, even if he had, I would rather marry Weasley than you" spat Draco, pushing Snape's restraining arm away.

"Your father will disown you"

"My father would never disown the only Malfoy heir after him. Talk sense, Parkinson, if I am disowned and my father dies then the Malfoy line will end with him. My father's too conceited to do that, even Voldemort is aware of the loyalty my father has to the Malfoy lineage! Besides, he will never challenge my decision when he realises the truth."

"What truth? That you've gone insane"

"No. The truth is that Harry Potter is my mate."

Draco's voice was strong, cool and firm, and everyone believed that he was telling the truth. The Gryffindors shuffled uneasily while Ron and Hermione shielded Harry from most of the incredulous stares from the other students. Even the teachers looked astonished and slightly disbelieving that the Boy Who Lived was the mate of the son of a well-known Death Eater.

"What do you mean" Pansy finally managed to choke.

"I'm a Veela, or part Veela actually" Draco hissed poisonously.

"Veela" echoed Pansy in shock.

"Yes, surely your little brain can remember that Veela like to extract retribution against anyone who harms his or her mate" Draco asked pleasantly, innocence pouring out of his cold silver eyes.

"AAH" Pansy screamed as Draco lunged for her.

The teachers, unsure of what to do, simply tried to pull him back, but it apparently wasn't working very well. Harry had never seen Draco Malfoy like this before. The undeniable rage on his face was frightening, and it was because of Harry. The full situation hit him and he unsteadily made his way to his feet, effectively stopping Draco from trying to murder Pansy by pulling on his arm.

Draco stopped, turning quickly to his chosen mate, unable to prevent himself form obeying his mate's request, even if he hadn't voiced it aloud. His eyes softened instantly and the same glow, which only appeared when looking at Harry, appeared. He lightly rubbed his thumb across the red skin, anger rapidly taking control again as Harry flinched, the drying red blood a sharp contrast to the tanned skin.

"Why did you stop me" he finally asked.

"She's not worth Azkaban" Harry said with a shrug.

"She deserves punishment, and I will make sure she receives it. How do you know that she is not worth my time and consideration"

"You don't spend time with an escapee without learning that Azkaban is your worse nightmare...I learned that in my third year," Harry murmured, voice low to make sure that no one overheard him. He didn't want to be responsible for his godfather being caught.

Draco looked surprised before curiosity entered his silver eyes. What did Harry see when a Dementor got too close? What image made him faint? A sudden surge of protectiveness rushed towards him and he lightly scooped Harry into his arms, unable to control his Veela blood. Harry sighed thankfully, not pulling away but not leaning into the embrace either. He hoped that by holding him the Veela would calm down and not try to murder his housemate. And why, why had Draco told the entire school that he was his chosen mate?

He was about to ask but hesitated. No, he would talk to Draco about his protective and possessiveness later, when they were safely away from Pansy. He remembered the kiss and successfully fought a blush. And why couldn't Seamus leave him alone? And why hadn't he noticed that Seamus' flirting was more than friendship? It was so obvious!

"Then what is she worth" queried Draco.

"She is worth nothing. She's nothing, never will be. Compared to the war and Voldemort she is just a petty, childish girl who should learn to grow up" was the slightly muffled response.

"Since when did you go all philosophical" asked Draco, not bothering to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Since I learnt that childish rivalries aren't worth the effort" was the answer, a small smirk playing across Harry's bruised lips.

Draco stared into his mate's vivid green eyes, hypnotized by the wary maturity which had been forced on a boy, a boy forced to grow up before his time so that mentally he was older than the young body he occupied. It was at that moment that Draco admitted to himself that he was helplessly and hopelessly in love with Harry Potter.

And he didn't care.

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**End of chapter 4.**

**Please review.**


	5. chapter 5

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

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**Classes:**

Medical Magics was a mixed class, with the sixth year students from each of the four houses. It was usually a class where the seating arrangements were separated by Houses, each House having a small group which sat in the same position every week, rarely mingling with the other houses. They were too used to working within their houses that the arrangement was automatic, and not considered strange. The Slytherins always sat separate from the rest of the school, eyeing the rest of the group warily, while the Gryffindors sat in the middle, laughing while listening to the lesson. The Hufflepuffs usually sat quietly to one side, a little unsure of how to act with the other children, and the Ravenclaws usually sat near the front, afraid to sit any further behind in case they missed an important detail.

It was therefore an amusing sight to see Harry Potter sitting next to a protective Draco Malfoy, who was in turn glaring at the Irish boy leaning a little too close to his mate, his jaw clenched as he fought to regain control over his emotions.

Everyone could see the rage beginning to build up in the usually cold silver eyes and moved rapidly away from him, leaving Harry, Draco, Seamus, Ron and Hermione in a small group on their own.

"Skele-Gro is an extremely painful experience, as the process of growing bones from scratch is a lot more difficult than fixing them. I'm sure Mr. Potter remembers, thanks to Gilderoy Lockhart..."

Madame Pomfrey seemed to have decided to ignore the situation and continue teaching, although her eyes often lingered on the strangely silent group, curiosity clear. Every time she looked at Harry, he blushed darkly and his eyes flickering to the floor, much to Draco's hidden amusement.

"Why are you blushing" he whispered, leaning in close so that his breath lightly skimmed Harry's bruised cheek.

Madame Pomfrey had rubbed on some ointment as soon as they had entered and the bruise was now slowly disappearing. The sight of it had nearly sent Draco into another fit of rage when he discovered that it would clearly bruise. Madame Pomfrey had finally managed to calm him by telling him that she could fix it, and Harry had allowed Draco to hold his hand, hoping that it would be enough to placate the other boy.

Pansy had had to leave the room for her own safety, much to Draco's disgust, for he had clearly wanted to seek revenge. Even though Harry had told him that she wasn't worth it, the Veela couldn't shake off the feeling of rage which had filled him at the mere thought of Harry's battered face and his beautiful green eyes clouded in pain.

"Why are you blushing" Draco repeated patiently, leaning in just a tad bit more.

"I'm not" hissed Harry, sounding indignant.

"You are" teased Draco, voice slightly mocking.

Harry scowled.

"Now you're in a sulk" taunted Draco, leaning closer, just enough for Harry not to notice until they were almost nose to nose.

"I'm not sulking" Harry's eyes flashed darkly, the brilliant green smouldering with hidden flames.

Harry never saw the look of desire, which suddenly overcome Draco. After all, Harry Potter was perhaps one of the sexiest things Draco had ever seen. He wondered what those dark green eyes would look like lit by the flames of passion... would they glow? Would they widen or narrow...? He imagined Harry pinned underneath him, dark hair tousled and lips parted wantonly…

He imagined Harry's moans as he lightly touched that teasing nipple ring. The sight of Harry's bare stomach had nearly driven Draco crazy last night. He had barely slept and had finally awakened early to visit Harry in Gryffindor Tower.

'Would he like that?' Draco wondered vaguely.

"Mr. Malfoy" screeched a voice.

Draco blinked in shock, looking up to see Madame Pomfrey staring at him angrily. Harry looked confused, and he looked around the room. He suddenly noticed that everyone, except Ron, was eyeing Draco Malfoy as if they wanted to pounce on him, including Seamus Finnigan.

"It won't happen again," Draco said, voice sharp.

"As much as your attraction for your mate is impossible to deny, please keep it at an acceptable level when you are not alone together. I cannot teach a group of drooling teenagers" she nearly shouted.

"I have already said that it will not happen again," Draco snapped, glaring at the infuriating woman when he realised that Harry was edging away from him.

Madame Pomfrey's eyes softened noticeably when she realised why the Veela was so upset. The only thing which stopped Draco from rolling his eyes was the fact that it was beneath a Malfoy to do so. Honestly, he thought, were all women so ridiculously romantic? Or was it the fact that the Veela charm was very persuasive after all, even on middle aged matrons who ruled with an iron fist.

"Apology accepted."

Draco merely smirked, aware that he had not even uttered an apology, but didn't correct her. It would be better to keep the woman on his good side. One never knew when one would need an experienced Medi-Witch, and Madame Pomfrey was clearly exceptional at her job.

She turned and swept away and Draco carefully avoided looking at Harry's wide green eyes. He had completely lost control there for a second, but he couldn't help it. How could anyone be so pure and wanton at the same time? Draco secretly thought that God had invented Harry Potter simply to drive him insane.

"Are you okay" asked Harry hesitantly.

Draco nodded, still avoiding Harry's eyes and ignoring Hermione's smothered giggle. Draco fought to put on the cold mask that he had perfected over the years and just managed to win. As the usual cold sneer slid over his features he relaxed. He could not afford to push Harry too far. He was lucky that Harry had been willing to stop his anger in the Great Hall. The boy clearly could not see his own attraction.

"Bloody Potter" he mumbled, much to Hermione's amusement, as she was the only one who heard him.

It was in Defence Against the Dark Arts class when Harry learnt more about Veela. The new teacher, Professor Carroll, seemed to think that Draco was a living dark creature, much to the Veela's amusement.

Professor Carroll was young, pretty, and intelligent, but she seemed to have a fascination with dark creatures. Harry secretly thought that she would make Hagrid the perfect friend. She was quite small at only 5'4". Her eyes were a vibrant blue and they reminded Harry of Dumbledore's. Her hair was a mass of gold curls, untameable and wild. She often appeared to be little older than they were, but she was a thorough teacher, and she knew more things about the Dark Arts than Harry could have guessed. Her appearance was clearly misleading.

"Today class, I was hoping that Mr. Malfoy might share a bit more information with us about his Veela magic" she said excitedly.

Instantly all eyes fixed on Draco.

"What do you want to know" Draco shrugged non-committedly, his tone clearly bored.

"You have recently come into your Inheritance - Could you explain"

"Yes, Veela usually come into their Inheritance on their sixteenth birthday."

"Would you care to tell us about it"

Draco thought with a frown on his face, considering what to say.

"The Inheritance is when a Veela comes into full power. As a part Veela, I am biologically different from a pure Veela. I will not change into a different form in anger, although I do have a minute taste for revenge" Draco smirked sarcastically, his eyes flickering to Pansy who was sitting as far away from him as she could get.

Pansy audibly gulped.

"I inherited their pale looks at birth, and have their inhuman strength which multiplied a hundredfold on my birthday. Their magnetic attraction also came into full force and it is now harder to control. Before it was hidden, disguised, but now that the barriers have been stripped away I have little control, especially as I've recently chosen my potential mate."

"Mr. Potter" grinned Professor Carroll, almost giggling when Harry blushed crimson.

"Yes" Draco smirked, his eyes sending a clear message to Harry, who promptly tried to avoid his gaze. Draco idly realised that they both had a habit of doing that when uncomfortable around the other.

"How do you go about choosing a mate"

"Veela go by scent. They usually find a scent that triggers their – I guess the polite term is desires. The pull towards the person will have existed between the two before the Inheritance of the Veela but afterwards the pull increases, making it almost impossible for the Veela to stay close to the person without trying to seduce them."

"And what about the bonding ritual" the Professor prompted eagerly.

"The bonding ritual is a binding ritual. It literally binds the Veela completely to their mate, creating a link so strong that it can never be shattered. Veela are creatures of desire and need a mate to ground some of their magnetism before it goes out of control. The Veela will usually do everything possible to try and persuade their chosen mate to bond with them, they can't help it, and it's almost an automatic reaction to the discovery of their Chosen.

The bond allows the human to have their strength, gives the pair the power of mind communication after a period of time, and, also, the need for touch and each other's physical presence. During the mating season, which is in the Spring, the pair will become even more in need of contact, almost never going out of sight of each other.

Veela are immensely over protective of their mates, as you've all already witnessed. They dislike any harm occurring to their mates, particularly in malice. They seek revenge, and in their anger are only controllable by their chosen mate. The human does in fact have a lot of power over the Veela. They are the stabilizer in the relationship, grounding the magic and the bond."

Harry was listening closely, not really aware of the dreamy way Seamus Finnigan was staring at him. The Irish boy was clearly more interested in Harry than listening to Draco - Draco barely fought down his rage. Harry was his! How dare that Irish prat try and take him away?

"They dislike sharing during what Veela's class as Seduction, and will not stop at anything to get rid of competition" Draco added smoothly, sending Seamus a cold stare.

"What will happen if the Veela does not bond with their chosen mate" asked Hermione suddenly.

"The Veela will never give in, even if they spend their entire life trying to seduce their mate. They will never take their mate by force, as they do not in any way wish to harm their mate. They prefer to seduce, or romance them."

"Is it true that the male partner of a Veela can become pregnant" asked Blaise Zabini suddenly.

All eyes fixed on Harry who was staring fixedly at the floor, a bright crimson blush staining his cheeks. Was it true? Could he become pregnant? The idea wasn't repulsive to Harry, who longed for a family, a child to love and care for. That had been one of the reasons why he had been against the whole idea. He had seen the bonding as an end to his dreams of a child as he had rightly suspected that Draco would not allow him to sleep with a woman to create a child.

The idea of carrying his own child inside his own body for nine months was incredible. He would be able to bond with his child like a mother. He was aware of the blush that was staining his face but knew that although the temptation of a child was great, he could not give into Draco Malfoy unless he was sure about his feelings. He knew that Draco desired him, but Harry wouldn't tie himself down to anyone for life without love.

"Yes, it's true" Draco murmured.

Harry looked up, his green eyes widening. As their eyes clashed, a deathly silence filled the room. Everyone watched, mouths agape, as golden sparks seemed to glow within their eyes, their bodies frozen as they studied each other deeply. They knew that this was perhaps the Veela magnetism but it didn't affect them. Hermione assumed that it was because Harry was unconsciously giving in slightly to the bond.

Draco leaned over, running a long finger over Harry's now completely healed cheek, marvelling at the softness of the skin. His Harry was so beautiful and pure. How could Pansy assume that she was better than him? Harry was the most incredible creature he had ever met, almost like a wolf: loyal, proud, fearless and powerful. He craved him like an addiction, an addiction he knew he would never be cured from, even if Harry did ever bond with him.

"It happens naturally though, if the couple desperately wants a family. There are no precautions at all. As the heir to the Malfoy family, I would be expected to sire an heir..." Draco trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, his eyes carefully hiding the fact that Draco would love to create a child with Harry.

The idea of a child, his and Harry's, was intoxicating. It was almost as surreal as the image of Harry on their bonding night, and that image had haunted him for a whole week. He needed Harry, and knew deep down that Harry would like a family.

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy" interrupted Professor Carroll.

The class finally settled down as Professor Carroll moved on to writing out the homework on the board. Draco nearly grinned when he saw what it was, knowing that this would be an easy A.

'For tomorrow night, write an essay on the Inheritance of a Veela. You must include all of the details Mr. Malfoy discussed in class and any extra research or personal experience you have on their magnetism. If you read Chapter 28 in your textbooks there is some information to help you.

It must be over 25 inches as it will be a part of your final assignment for the end of term module.'

"I can help you, Harry, if you want, as I am perhaps the best person to use to research any additional information" Draco whispered.

Harry looked up from the parchment he was writing on, blinking in confusion. Draco smiled inwardly, his face carefully straight. Harry obviously hadn't heard a single thing that he had said.

"I can help you on that essay tonight, if you want" Draco repeated.

"Thanks" Harry murmured, grateful.

"We can go to my room" Draco suggested, voice innocent. He didn't want to scare Harry away from him so soon but he also wanted to spend some time with his mate and test Harry's resistance to his charm.

Harry eyed him suspiciously.

"Granger and Weasley are also invited, of course" Draco finally said, knowing that it would be the only way to persuade his mate to his new rooms.

Harry smiled weakly, eyes still a little wary. Draco suddenly understood that it would take a while, and a lot of coaxing, for him to persuade Harry to trust him. There were too many fights, arguments, and insults in the past to just ignore them. They needed to work their way through the obstacles in their relationship, one by one, but Draco knew that it would be worth it in the end – when he had Harry voluntarily by his side.

"Thanks... I guess I'm just not..."

"I understand. The situation will take a while to get used to, but in the mean time I suggest that we spend time trying to get to know one another. It would be easier in the long run to put aside all of our petty differences" said Draco, voice firm.

"I know" Harry murmured, sighing, inwardly annoyed at the lack of hostility he felt against that idea. He knew that Draco was being reasonable, and he had asked the Veela to take their relationship slowly – Draco would not force him.

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**End of chapter 5.**

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	6. chapter 6

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

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Jealousy caused by a green eyed God:**

Harry stood nervously in the sixth year boys' dormitory, not sure what to wear. He glanced at his clothes, which, although only a small collection, all fit him for once, and were ones he had chosen himself with Hermione's help. He had bought them himself using money Sirius had given him, after Sirius had discovered that Harry had been forced to wear Dudley's hand me downs ever since he had lived with his Aunt and Uncle.

'The red shirt is too Gryffindor, the green shirt is nice, but what about the….' he thought, before suddenly realising what he was doing. 'Oh my God, I'm worrying about my clothes like a love struck schoolgirl,' Harry thought wildly.

A picture of Draco Malfoy came to his mind. Was he starting to like the boy? Was it the Veela charm affecting him? Harry sighed, raking his hand through his hair.

'Why is my life always so complicated?' he mused thoughtfully.

"Harry"

He whirled around to see Hermione at the door, her face alight with curiosity. He groaned, gesturing for her to enter. She looked around at the piles of clothing scattered on the bed and fought a smile. Whether he liked it or not, Harry was attracted to Draco Malfoy.

Hermione began rummaging through the piles of clothes. She had never seen Harry so nervous before about his appearance and it surprised her. Normally, Harry barely even registered what he was wearing, never mind buying when he went shopping normally. In fact, Harry was well known for wearing some of the most appalling outfits imaginable, especially when he went shopping with Ron.

She ignored the red shirts that Harry always wore. 'Typical Gryffindor,' she thought with a smile.

"Try this" she said softly, picking up a black vest shirt and a pair of black casual jeans.

Harry hastily pulled them on, not in the least bit bothered that Hermione had seen him in his boxers. Over the last few years their relationship had developed into a brotherly/sisterly love, which suited them fine. They loved each other in a simple, platonic way. To Harry, Hermione was the sister he had never had the chance to have.

Hermione studied him critically when he stood facing her, his eyes avoiding her gaze. She couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic, vividly recalling the scrawny first year boy she had once known. It was only later on that she discovered that his almost malnourished appearance was caused by years of neglect. The Harry she had known then and the Harry she knew now could almost be completely different people – at least appearance wise.

The black vest clung to his muscled stomach, looking casual and seductive. His bare arms were tanned and strong, his broad shoulders enhanced by the tight material. The dark jeans clung to his long legs, making them appear endless. They were slightly tight fitting, leaving very little to the imagination. Combined with his unruly, slightly damp black hair, a pair of vivid green eyes and a strong handsome face, even Hermione had to admit that Harry was beautiful.

"You look great" she smiled.

She left him in the room alone, not sure what to say to try to calm him down. Instead she headed down to the Common Room to find Ron, who was impatiently waiting for Harry to arrive. He obviously wasn't pleased about spending the evening with a love struck Veela.

"Is he ready yet" asked Ron immediately.

Hermione fought back a giggle at his frustrated face.

"Nearly. He couldn't find anything to wear" she explained.

Ron looked at her blankly.

"He didn't want to wear anything too revealing, or too simple" she lied, knowing that Harry had been panicking over what Draco would think.

"Why didn't he ask me then" asked Ron, clearly bewildered.

"Because he didn't want to go looking like a prat" grinned Dean, who was not at all bothered by being caught listening to their conversation.

Ron gave his friend a dark look, looking miffed.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and gathered his books into his arms. He hastily shoved a couple of quills, parchment and a bottle of ink into his never ending pockets, which had been created by a spell that Hermione had taught him last year. He was about to exit the room when Seamus Finnigan appeared. At first Seamus never noticed Harry but when their eyes met Seamus grinned, a slightly dreamy look in his eyes, as he looked Harry up and down.

Harry froze. Seamus Finnigan was definitely checking him out. Even Harry, who was known for being oblivious to any form of flirting could see that. He wondered how he could have been so blind.

"Looking good, Harry, who's the lucky guy" he grinned finally.

"Ron, and Hermione, and I have a study date with Malfoy" Harry shrugged, warily keeping an eye on the blond.

Seamus frowned, forcing himself not to scowl angrily. He had noticed that Harry was aware of his attentions, and knew that Harry was uncertain of how to act around him. He couldn't believe that Harry was actually going to meet the Veela – and Ron and Hermione were encouraging him as well!

"Dressed like that" he finally managed to ask, looking at Harry's tight outfit.

Harry blushed, avoiding Seamus' eyes. He shifted position slightly, uncomfortable. Perhaps he should have worn a less revealing outfit, even though Hermione, whom he trusted not to make him look ridiculous, had chosen it…

"Hermione chose it" Harry explained hastily.

"Oh..." Seamus murmured, not sure what to say to that.

"Yeah."

Seamus studied Harry quietly, trying to refrain from pouncing on the boy who, for years, had only regarded him as a friend. He frowned. Usually Harry never noticed when he was flirting with him, and yet lately he had been uncomfortable when talking to him.

A suspicion rose in his mind and he barely stopped himself from going to murder Malfoy. The Veela had obviously told Harry what everyone else had known all along.

'Well,' he thought, 'I'm not giving up to some stupid Veela.'

"Your hair's a mess" Seamus said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence.

"What"

"Your hair... it's a mess... do you want me to try to fix it" Seamus asked casually, hoping that Harry wouldn't hear his pounding heart.

"Err... yeah... if you want..." Harry said uncertainly.

"Sit on the floor by the bed" said Seamus quietly, not wanting to scare Harry away. "I can reach easily that way."

Harry sat down quickly, sitting still when Seamus sat on the bed behind him, running his slightly shaking fingers through his unruly locks. He sat quietly while Seamus tried to style his hair and was surprised when he heard a muttered spell. He fought down the urge to ask what it was and waited patiently for the other boy to finish.

"Done" Seamus exclaimed finally, admiring his handiwork. "That looks much better."

"Thanks" Harry smiled.

Harry gave him another smile before quickly leaving the room with his books. He didn't look at his reflection as he passed the mirror. He lightly ran down the steps towards the common room and was surprised when it went silent, everyone gaping at him.

"What the hell have you done to your hair" gaped Ron.

Harry blinked.

"Err... nothing" Harry asked hesitantly.

"It looks " began Hermione.

"Bloody hell" blinked Ron, still in shock.

"Seamus did it" Harry said quickly.

"It looks lovely, Harry" Hermione smiled.

"He's got Slytherin colours in his hair" argued Ron, clearly looking revolted at the very thought.

Harry's face must have shown his confusion because Hermione tutted and magically produced a mirror with her wand so that Harry could see. His usually untamed hair had been tamed into soft spikes, embroidered with streaks of silver and green. It made him look older, and Harry wondered why Seamus had dressed his hair in Slytherin colours.

"How the hell did he do that" gaped Ron.

"I don't know. He just said that my hair was a mess and asked me if I wanted help. I didn't know how to say no, so I said yes and then let him do it. I never even looked in a mirror, I just came straight down here" Harry explained.

Hermione could see several students about to question Harry and hastily grabbed his arm and propelled him out of the Common Room. Lavender Brown whistled loudly, causing the boys to collapse into laughter and the girls to start giggling. The Fat Lady winked at Harry and the innocent young boy blushed. Harry gaped and was about to question her about her unusual behaviour when Ron and Hermione started to drag him towards the room where Malfoy was supposedly staying.

They soon arrived at the painting of Merlin, who bore a strong resemblance to Dumbledore. Harry almost expected him to start handing out Lemon Drops. Merlin smiled at them, winking at Harry. It was obvious that he had heard the latest news.

"Password"

"Damn it! He never told me the password" Harry moaned.

Suddenly the portrait opened to reveal Draco Malfoy. Draco smirked at Ron and Hermione before his eyes travelled to Harry. His eyes widened considerably, strangely glowing. A genuine smile lit his face before he stepped aside, allowing them to enter.

"You came" he said huskily.

He had been uncertain as to whether Harry would actually show up. He knew that Harry really needed time to sit down and think about everything before he made a decision, but Draco longed to be near him, even for a few hours, simply studying.

"Yeah..." Harry said uncertainly, slipping into the room.

Curious, he glanced around. He soon discovered that the room wasn't anything like what he had expected to find. They were in what appeared to be a common room. The room was a light cream with several cream sofas littered around the walls. A coffee table stood in the middle while a desk stood in the far left corner, covered in what Harry correctly guessed was Draco's homework.

The room was large and airy and oozed elegance. Harry's eyes travelled to the large display cabinet along the wall next to the roaring fireplace and studied the small figurines, mostly of dragons and other dangerous creatures. Harry saw a few unicorns and wasn't surprised to notice that all of them were made out of ivory and decorated with precious stones, mainly ruby, diamond and emerald.

'They're beautiful.' Harry thought, not used to seeing anything as expensive as them. The Dursleys had certainly never been able to afford to buy such exquisite statues, and Harry was suddenly reminded of exactly how rich the Malfoy family were.

"What do you think" asked Draco casually, moving to gather his scrolls off the desk and to sit down on one of the sofas.

"It's nice," Harry admitted surprise clearly evident in his voice.

Draco smirked, knowing that they had probably expected something closely resembling the Potion Master's classroom, or dark like the dungeons.

"Not what you expected, is it?" Draco teased.

Harry flushed.

"No," he admitted.

Draco laughed, able to relax in the presence of his mate while away from the very watchful eyes of the students and faculty. He knew that Hermione and Ron would not be surprised by his change of behaviour – they had already experience his violent mood swings when around his mate.

"It's lovely" agreed Hermione.

Ron scowled, clearly a little over-awed by the beauty and wealth of the room.

"My mother insisted on visiting by floo to make sure that the room was up to Malfoy standards," Draco explained. "She loves to decorate and is constantly changing the rooms at the Manor. She drives my father insane."

"Your home must be very beautiful," Harry murmured.

Draco wanted to tell the other boy that it was now his home as well, but he knew that it would isolate Harry even further from him. Instead, he nodded, not denying the truth. The Manor was beautiful. It had been created for that purpose, generations ago, as a sign of how much money the Malfoy family had. No expense had been spared in its creation.

"Sit down" Draco gestured, his eyes lingering on Harry and then drifting to the space next to him. There was no doubt that he wanted Harry to sit next to him. Harry moved forward and silently sat down, avoiding both Draco and Ron's eyes.

Draco barely stopped himself from ravishing Harry, then and there. He looked delicious in black, Draco decided. The dark colour accentuated his long, lithe body and enhanced his green eyes. The spiked hair was amazing and the green and silver streaks added an air of mystery and darkness mingled with the innocence that was purely Harry. He wondered whether the Gryffindor had done his hair himself, or whether Hermione had helped him with the spell. It was a well known fact that Hermione Granger had to help out Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley when it came to fashion.

Ron and Hermione sat on the sofa opposite them, and soon silence filled the room as they got to work on their Defence essays. Every now and then Hermione or Harry would ask the Veela a question, and Draco answered it carefully and honestly.

It wasn't long before their essays were nearly done. Harry had found out more information on the Veela, mainly about their bodies and attitudes, than he could have ever found in the books in the library. Draco had told them that many of the books described lies born from fairy tales.

Harry glanced down at his scroll with a frown, reading what he had written.

'Veela naturally progress faster than normal children. Their intelligence and magic shows at an earlier age, especially within male part Veela. Veela are naturally curious creatures, especially about their mates. Veela do not specifically desire either sex, and they have no sexual preference. They simply choose the one person that completes them mentally, physically and emotionally.'

'So Malfoy isn't just after me for my looks. Does he really care about me though? Or is it just the Veela charm that tells him that he wants me to be his mate? It would help if I could ask him, but I don't feel comfortable talking about this to him. Perhaps…' Harry thought with a sigh.

Draco leaned forward, entranced by the image of Harry's thoughtful green eyes, wondering what had caused the other boy to become so serious, and as he did so he caught the faint smell of someone else emanating from Harry's clothes. The smell was strangely familiar - strangely sweet mingled with Harry's usual musky scent. He had smelt that scent before, but he didn't know where...

Realisation suddenly dawned on him and he grabbed Harry roughly, slamming him down on the sofa and pinning him down with his own body. His eyes glowed coldly, emitting pure fury as they stared down into bewildered green.

He vaguely heard Ron and Hermione's cries but ignored them. Nothing else mattered except the boy underneath him, the boy who had come to meet him wearing another boy's scent - Seamus Finnigan's scent.

"Why the hell do you smell like Finnigan" he hissed.

He couldn't believe it. His mate was covered in another boy's scent. What had Harry been doing to get covered in it? Had they kissed? Had Finnigan touched Harry? Touched him like Draco dreamed of doing but knew he could never do until Harry trusted him enough to let him. The thought made his blood boil and Draco could feel his Veela blood taking control yet again.

"What" Harry choked, looking confused.

"Finnigan! Did you not expect me to find out" he hissed, fury in every line of his face.

"I haven't been with " Harry began arguing.

He was cut off by a pair of soft, forceful lips covering his own. Draco's lips were insistent. His warm tongue plunged to taste Harry's mouth, sucking at his tongue and forcing him to surrender.

As his body began to respond, Harry felt a pair of warm hands travel underneath his hips, grabbing at his thighs and forcefully pulling him closer. Harry moaned at the friction, allowing himself to relax in Draco's embrace. He had never experienced this before and he found that he liked it; he liked Draco doing this to him.

Draco felt the boy underneath him relax and smiled into the kiss, moving his lips to graze the tender skin of Harry's neck, where he had touched earlier that day. He caught the scent of Finnigan again, mingling with the apple scent of Harry's shampoo and growled.

Deciding to mark Harry as his, he bite down on the tender flesh just below his pulse point, sucking at the mark and licking at the trickle of blood. He pulled back, staring into Harry's dazed, passion filled eyes and smiled, satisfied for now.

He saw Hermione grab Ron to try and hold him back from hitting him. He clearly didn't like the thought of his best friend being pinned down and ravished by his archenemy. Ignoring them, he looked down at the boy still lying on the sofa.

Harry's eyes were wide and seemed to glow with desire, the green a strange dark colour that Draco had never seen before and the pupils large and penetrating. Draco pulled himself upright, his mind screaming at him to stop while his heart told him to continue and make Harry his own.

"You'd better go" he finally choked out, moving away from the sofa on which Harry was still lying, a dazed expression on his face and a lost look in his eyes.

Ron was obviously about to yell at him when Hermione stepped forward. She looked at Draco with understanding, and decided to explain herself why Harry had Seamus' scent on him, as Harry was in no fit state to defend himself after being nearly seduced by a Veela.

"Seamus did Harry's hair. That's probably why you can smell his scent on him" she said soothingly.

Draco started in shock before nodding, accepting the excuse for the truth. His eyes wandered to Harry, who was now sitting up and attempting to gather his scroll from where it had landed on the floor.

"I'm sorry" Draco said stiffly, obviously not used to apologising but doing it anyway, for Harry.

Harry looked up, met his eyes and nodded. There was a pensive look on his face, almost as if he wasn't sure what he was feeling. Draco cursed silently, realising that he could just have ruined the fragile friendship he had been developing with Harry.

"It's okay, I understand. I forgot that you could smell- I wouldn't " Harry broke off, frustrated with himself for not being able to say exactly what he meant.

"I understand" Draco said smoothly.

"I would never hurt you" Harry said suddenly, his green eyes ablaze with honesty and innocence as they stared up at Draco, wanting to show that he meant what he said.

'Ever the Gryffindor,' Draco thought with a wry smile.

"I know that, Harry" Draco said quietly.

Harry smiled hesitantly at the other boy, not sure as to whether Draco truly believed him but willing to let the conversation go. He felt awkward. He had not really considered Draco's feelings in the situation until now.

At that moment Draco would have died the happiest man on the Earth. He had managed to touch the boy he wanted, had actually kissed and claimed Harry for his own and Harry had not pulled away.

Harry had leaned into his touches, kissed him back, albeit innocently and with limited experience, but that, to Draco, was what made Harry special. Gaining Harry's love was a challenge, but it would be well worth it in the end, of that he had no doubt.

"I'd better go" Harry said gently, hiding his mixed emotions successfully as he gave the boy who had nearly ravished him a strained smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast" Draco agreed.

"Great! See you tomorrow, Draco" Hermione beamed, following Harry out of the tower and dragging a stunned Ron behind her.

Draco heard the portrait close and collapsed onto the sofa, relief present in every portion of his body.

"I might just win his heart after all" he murmured to himself.

A picture of Harry entered his mind.

"That's if I can stop myself from ravishing him every time I see him" Draco added, not in the least bit concerned about talking to himself. No one had ever said that Veela were normal, especially when they were around their mates.

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**End of chapter 6.**

**Please review**


	7. chapter 7

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

**Surprising Discoveries:**

Harry sat on his bed, listening to his sleeping dorm mates. Ron was murmuring in his sleep again, Seamus was cursing, Dean was mumbling about football fouls and Neville was snoring loudly. Harry fought back a grin when Dean yelled 'Take him off!' loudly, his voice slightly muffled by his pillow. It was at times like these, when Harry was allowed to witness his friends at their most vulnerable, that he realised just how lucky he was. From the moment they had met him, they had stood by him, tried to protect him, and had made Harry feel at home. They were his family.

Harry thought back to the study session he had had with Draco Malfoy, the most current problem in his continually changing life. The boy had been courteous, even to Ron and Hermione, which had surprised Harry. Malfoy had never even given the two the time of day before, preferring to mock them or spit foul words in moments of spite. It seemed that the Veela was making a vast effort to try to persuade Harry to mate with him.

He suddenly remembered how swiftly Draco's emotions had changed; the pure rage on the Veela's face at the thought of Harry being with anyone else had brought home to Harry that he was now irrevocably bound to the Veela, even if he never accepted it. The question was, should Harry give in easily, or should he fight for the last remains of his freedom?

An image of Draco's silver eyes, framed by ash blond lashes sprang to mind. In that moment, Harry had realised that Draco Malfoy was not as in control of his emotions as he would have liked. It seemed that Harry was able to affect him more than he had previously thought, and Harry abruptly comprehended that Draco had been trying to keep control of their relationship.

He blushed as he remembered how good it had felt to be pressed down on the sofa, that heavy, warm, alive body covering his own firmly, and the way that insistent lips had claimed his own in a gesture of possession. Harry absently raised a hand to touch the red marks which littered the soft skin of his throat.

He had not even considered the fact that Seamus would leave his scent all over him while doing a simple thing such as fixing his hair, and it frightened him to realise that his naivety had made Draco lose control. He wondered idly for a moment whether that had been the Irish boy's intention in the first place.

'I wouldn't put it past him.' he mused thoughtfully, remembering how Seamus was well known for his tricks and pranks.

He had been surprised at first to realise that Seamus fancied him, as he had never considered Seamus as anything but a friend. He had been friends with the Irish boy since his first year at Hogwarts and had never even noticed the change in his behaviour. Oh, Harry had noticed the flirting, he wasn't completely oblivious to what went on around him, but Seamus flirted with everyone – it was a well-known fact.

His attention went back to Draco. It had been pleasant sitting next to the Veela, studying together quietly, albeit rather strange at first to be so close to his old enemy. He had also learnt more on Veelas and figured he understood what was happening to himself more. The thought calmed him. It was always better to know what you were getting into before you fell in, with no way of getting yourself out. Harry knew that once he bonded with the Veela, his life would never be the same.

The thing that had shocked him the most was the absolute fury on Draco's face at the thought of Harry being with another boy. For a moment, Harry had been afraid of the other boy, not knowing what he could do to calm the Veela down.

He had been stunned when Draco had kissed him, but that hadn't stopped him from responding to the pale haired Veela. In fact, Harry had to admit that he had liked being that close to the other boy. He had been dazed for several hours afterwards, much to Hermione's amusement and Ron's disgust.

It had taken nearly three hours for Ron to stop ranting and had taken a further two hours to attempt to persuade Ron into not going and smashing Malfoy's face in for attempting to 'rape' his best friend who, according to him 'had no desire for a filthy Slytherin.' Both Harry and Hermione had been in stitches and had desperately fought to keep straight faces. Thankfully, they had won - just about.

Harry idly wondered what his friend would say when he found out that Harry did in fact find the Veela attractive, even if he didn't trust him and wasn't prepared to give in yet. He suspected that Hermione already knew, and that her silence meant that she would stand by him in his decisions.

Harry yawned. It had been a long day. The confrontations with the school, Pansy, lessons, and trying to absorb as much information on Veela's as he could had certainly affected him more than it should. He felt emotionally drained.

Harry settled back into his bedcovers, silently thanking the house elves for magically warming his sheets. As he rested, the first threads of dreams weaving through his mind, Harry saw an image of a small child; a child with laughing green eyes, and hair the colour of wheat washed by moonlight – a colour Harry had only seen one family ever possess.

'I wonder what will happen when Rita Skeeter finds out.' was Harry's last thought before he fell into a deep sleep, a smile tugging at his lips as the child giggled happily, filled with an innocence only the very young could have.

Draco Malfoy woke the next morning reluctantly, wanting to savour the image of a dream Harry laughing with him, his green eyes filled with adoration and love, but he knew that dreams were an illusion far away from reality. He couldn't afford to spend time dreaming when he needed to catch his heart's desire.

He stretched, climbing out of bed with his usual grace. As he prepared to get ready for the day, Draco considered going to the Great Hall without waiting for Harry, wanting to give the raven haired Gryffindor time to adjust.

He firmly shoved the idea to the back of his mind. He needed to be near Harry, especially when it appeared that Finnigan still hadn't learnt his lesson. It was a shame that Harry was unlikely to ever forgive him should he harm the Irish ponce in any way.

Gryffindors.

They were so…noble.

Harry was awoken the next day by an amused Draco Malfoy. Draco watched as the tired boy opened his dream-filled green eyes before sitting up, running a hand through his tangled black hair. He imagined the same boy lying underneath him, as he had done last night, without the barrier of clothes. Draco hastily thrust the thought aside. He couldn't afford to be distracted.

Harry peered up through half-lidded eyes up at the boy leaning over him, surprised, before realising that he was dressed only in a pair of boxers, sitting completely unprotected in front of a Veela who wanted nothing better than to have sex with him. The same Veela who had lost control the night before, and had promptly started to ravish him. He suddenly became consciously aware of the red marks which were sure to be still colouring his skin.

"What are you doing here" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Breakfast in bed" Draco said neutrally, understanding Harry's hesitation.

He flicked his wand and muttered something so that a tray appeared out of thin air into his outstretched arms. Harry's attention turned to the tray.

It was the usual Hogwarts silver, covered in a white lace cloth. A plate of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms stood in the middle, a pile of toast to the left and a goblet of pumpkin juice to the right. There was also a thin crystal vase from which a single white rose rested, and the flower captured Harry's attention immediately.

The rose was beautiful. The petals were the purest white, and silky to the touch. The stem and leaves were a vivid emerald green. It was thornless, and it appeared that the other boy had used magic to preserve the flower so that it wouldn't need water. It was perhaps the most romantic gift Harry had ever received.

"It's beautiful" he breathed, meaning it.

"It is enchanted to stay alive, so that it will never wilt or die. I requested that my mother send it to me from the gardens situated on the Manor. My mother grows the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen" Draco smiled softly, reaching out to place the tray in the Gryffindor's lap.

He didn't mention that his mother had also sent a long letter asking him repeatedly to tell her whom his mate was, and that Draco had not replied, not wanting her to interfere, as she was sure to, until Harry was more amenable to the idea.

"Why" Harry asked finally, still staring at the rose.

"It is a gift to apologise for my unjust accusations yesterday. I know that what I did to you was uncalled for."

Draco wondered whether Harry knew what an honour it was to hear a Malfoy apologise yet again for his actions. It was a rare thing, but to Draco, Harry was worth it. He was embarrassed about his behaviour – he may have pushed Harry too far, too soon. Luckily, it appeared that no lasting damage had been done.

"Thank you," Harry said softly, raising bewildered green eyes to stare at the Veela.

"I will leave you to enjoy your breakfast in peace. I will see you in class. I believe that you have Potions first" was the reply before the boy disappeared, leaving Harry to eat his breakfast in peace.

Harry sat there stunned.

Draco Malfoy had just brought him a gift, and not just any gift. He had given Harry a flower. The action was so completely out of character for the Slytherin that Harry at first suspected an ulterior motive, but after staring avidly at the rose for several minutes, he understood that Draco was showing a side of him that not many ever saw.

The thought made a smile spread its way across Harry's face.

Harry walked into the Common Room later than usual that day because he had had his breakfast brought to him. He had told Ron to leave for the Great Hall without him, after explaining to the stunned Gryffindor that Draco had brought his breakfast in bed, as well as the beautiful rose which now stood on Harry's bedside cabinet where Harry could see it.

Seamus had barely constrained his famous Irish temper when he had discovered what the Veela had done. He had eyed the rose as if he was going to crush it and it was only Harry's obvious delight in having received such a gift which stopped him from pulling off the petals and throwing the rest out of the window.

Harry pretended not to notice the Irish boy's reaction to the gift, not wanting to spoil his good mood.

Harry had been expecting the room to be empty and was therefore surprised to find that the room was filled with Gryffindors of all ages, all of whom were apparently reading the Daily Prophet. Harry barely prevented himself from groaning, knowing the reason for their behaviour.

'Rita Skeeter,' he thought angrily.

Wordlessly, Ron handed him the newspaper.

**Harry Potter - Draco Malfoy's mate and the most powerful Wizard in the world!**

_As many people in the wizarding world know, the Malfoy family has Veela blood running through their veins due to the union of several Veela to their ancestors. Lucius Malfoy himself is a part Veela, not strong enough to require a mate, but combined with the blood of Narcissa Malfoy, the heir to the Malfoy fortune, Draco Malfoy, is a half Veela. _

_Over the generations the family has developed into one of the most powerful families in the wizarding world, due to the prestigious Lucius Malfoy, who has upheld the tradition passed down throughout the generation to remain as pureblooded as possible. His marriage to his wife was a highly anticipated event in their youth. _

_Draco Malfoy has recently celebrated his sixteenth birthday and has, therefore, come into what is known as his Inheritance. Since then, he has in fact publicly announced at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that he has chosen none other than Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, as his potential mate._

_The couple are apparently working on developing their relationship now that their famous rivalry, which caused the Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses to reach the worst enmity ever witnessed at Hogwarts, has ended. _

_Harry Potter, in fact, also comes from a very powerful family background. His father, James Potter was one of the most powerful young wizards fresh out of Hogwarts, along with the Azkaban escapee, Sirius Black._

_His mother, Lily Evans, was one of the most talented muggleborn students to study at Hogwarts since the school began._

_We at the Daily Profit have done a little research and discovered the real reason why Harry Potter destroyed He Who Must Not Be Named. It seems that Mr. Potter is in fact the only descendant from Godric Gryffindor, making him the legendary Gryffindor heir._

_The Daily Profit has also discovered information leading us to believe that He Who Must Not Be Named is in fact the only descendant from Salazar Slytherin himself._

_It seems that the rivalry from a thousand years ago has begun again, this time with their descendants. However, evidence leads us to believe that Harry Potter inherited some of You Know Who's power on the night that lead to his parents' death._

_Harry Potter is a well known Parseltongue and it was believed that it was he who let loose the basilisk in his second year, when in fact it was You Know Who himself, preserved within an enchanted diary._

_A scientist at St. Mungo's confirmed to me that it was entirely probable that Mr. Potter can be magically clarified as the descendant of both Godric and Salazar, and the blood descendant of Godric._

_However, the events at the Third Task in Mr. Potter's fourth year means that You Know Who is now in fact the blood descendant of both Godric and Salazar, and one of the most powerful men in the wizarding world._

_The Wizarding world can only hope that Godric Gryffindor's heir will in fact be able to defeat the Slytherin heir, ending all rivalry once and for all. Perhaps once bonded with Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter will truly be able to rid the world of He Who Must Not Be Named once and for all._

_Written by Rita Skeeter._

Harry dropped the paper in shock. All of the blood drained from his face. The Gryffindors watched in silence, apprehensive of Harry's behaviour. They had never seen the Boy Who Lived like this before. Harry did have a legendary temper when provoked, and they were wary of what Harry's reaction would be to the article.

Harry was beyond furious. He had been lied to, manipulated, by one of the people he had trusted implicitly. Dumbledore had used him. He was nothing but a tool, a tool to defeat something he could not.

"Harry" asked Ron uncertainly.

"Get away from me" Harry yelled.

"Harry - you need to calm down," pleaded Hermione, scared of the look in his eyes.

"Fuck the whole lot of them! Sod Dumbledore to hell" Harry hissed.

He abruptly turned, robes flying dramatically in a surprising resemblance to Severus Snape, and stormed out of the room before the Gryffindors had time to react. As soon as Harry's exit registered, Ron hastily yelled at his friend to stop and began to follow, chasing him as he ran towards the Great Hall.

As soon as he stormed into the Hall, everything stopped. It appeared that the news of the article had spread and the students had been waiting for Harry to show up. Every eye watched as the Boy Who Lived stormed towards Dumbledore, face as dark as thunder as he regarded the man he had trusted as both a mentor and grandfatherly figure.

"Do you want me to tell you what I think of you" he finally asked.

Dumbledore nodded sadly, his eyes devoid of their usual twinkle.

Harry spat on the floor at his feet.

"You're scum, Dumbledore. You're absolute scum who hides behind a sixteen-year-old boy to fight his battles for him. Sod you to hell, Dumbledore, because I'm not on your side anymore."

"Harry" begged Ron, desperately, suddenly charging into the Great Hall and making his way to his friend before he said or did something he might regret. By the sound of things, though, he had already started.

"Then whose side are you on, Harry" asked Dumbledore softly, knowing that he deserved Harry's contempt and anger.

"My side. From now on, there are three sides. Your stupid pathetic Order, Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and mine" Harry said, barely restraining the urge to hex the man before him.

"Your parents" began Dumbledore.

"Are dead" Harry said bluntly.

There were gasps of shock throughout the Hall. Even Dumbledore looked astonished by Harry's blunt reply. They all knew that Harry treasured the memory of his parents and that the reason why he was so intent on fighting the Dark Lord was to gain revenge for his destroyed childhood.

"From now on Dumbledore, stay out of my life. I will not live with the Dursleys any longer. What is it with you, Dumbledore? I mean, I could understand why you sent me there; after all, we wouldn't want Harry Potter to become the next Dark Lord, would we? You act like a hero when you're not. You're as biased as Snape bloody is! All you care about is yourself. I'm nothing but a tool to you, and I've been a fool believing that you cared! Your plan worked, didn't it, Albus? After all, why would a boy who had been abused for eleven years not want the comfort offered by a man whom he thought he could trust" Harry spat.

"Harry, please, that was not my intention," Dumbledore said softly, anguished at the thought. He had wanted to protect Harry, and at the time he had believed that Harry was safer at the Dursleys, in the muggle world where no one knew his name.

"Liar"

"I understand your anger, Harry, and I wish to explain everything to you."

"You told me that it was my mother's love which helped me to survive the killing curse. When I pulled Godric's sword out of the sorting hat you said that it meant I was a loyal Gryffindor! You never even told me that the reason why Voldemort wants me dead is because I'm the heir of his worst enemy"

"I did what I thought best at the time," Dumbledore murmured, trying to placate the boy enough to get him to listen, but it soon became obvious that Harry was not going to listen this time.

"Shut up! The sorting hat wanted me in Slytherin but you told me in my second year that I was a Gryffindor. You used me, Dumbledore. My whole life has been nothing but a lie" Harry raged, not able to control the fury rising within him.

"Harry, it was not like that, believe me" began Dumbledore.

"I thought I told you to shut up" Harry spat.

Suddenly things began to explode. Plates, windows, glasses, and bowls exploded, creating a firework of glass. The candles flickered out, creating eerie shadows, and the magically enchanted ceiling appeared to darken, although it was merely an illusion. The students and faculty watched with baited breath as Harry raised his arm, green sparks erupting from the palm of his hand.

Draco, who had been sitting with the Slytherins, knew that he had to do something. He had stayed silent at first, not wanting to interrupt and face Harry's wrath, as that would only destroy any progress Draco had made on their relationship, but he could tell that Harry was going rapidly out of control.

Harry's whole life had been stripped away from him, making him feel lost. His powers were wild, creating havoc. Getting up, Draco walked calmly to Harry's side, wrapping his arms around the shaking boy to protect him from the disbelieving and wondrous stares.

Harry turned and buried his face into the crook of Draco's neck; seeking the comfort the other boy freely gave him. There was nothing but affection in Draco's embrace and Harry needed to know that he had someone stable in his life, someone who would do anything for him, no matter what. He needed to feel wanted, loved, cherished.

"I can't control it" Harry moaned desperately, breathing raggedly as the untamed power raged within his body.

"Shush, it'll be all right. Let go. Calm down. Just concentrate on me. Forget about your magic" Draco soothed gently, tightening his grip on the smaller boy.

"Kiss me" Harry pleaded suddenly, his voice slightly muffled.

"What"

No matter how upset Harry was, Draco had not been expecting such a request. Draco wanted to, more than anything, but he couldn't. He didn't want to frighten the other boy off again, after he had calmed down.

Harry lifted his head when he realised that Draco had made no move to do as he had asked, and stared deeply into Draco's eyes for a moment. He considered what to do before angling his head to one side so that his lips lightly brushed against the other boy's.

Draco understood. Harry needed love right now. He needed to know that Draco would never leave him. He needed the comfort that had been denied him all of his life.

"No matter what happens, Harry, I will never be able to leave your side" he murmured before pressing his lips more firmly against Harry's, kissing him deeply.

Harry relaxed under Draco's ministrations, feeling his anger slide away as Draco's lips caused new sensations – desire and longing – to unleash in his heart. He didn't notice that as he gave in to the feeling, his magic suddenly connected to his inner being.

As they kissed, they never saw the faint green glow which surrounded them, a light eerily similar to that of the Avada Kedavra. Everyone else did though - including a sad Albus Dumbledore. It seemed that Harry Potter had come into his full powers at long last.

**End of chapter 7.**

**Please review.**


	8. chapter 8

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

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**The Tower:**

Dumbledore had instructed Draco to take Harry back to the Gryffindor Tower as soon as Harry had gotten control over his magic again, after seeing that Harry was clinging to the Veela as if he was his anchor. Harry had ignored Dumbledore, but hadn't protested at the instruction, knowing that Draco would protect him and look after him.

Draco had agreed immediately, secretly thrilled at the way that Harry was clinging to him, even if his face retained the usual cold, emotionless mask. He loved the feel of the other boy in his arms, held close to his own body. He loved the feeling of strength which overcome him with the need to protect his mate from anything and everything.

Harry had not allowed Dumbledore to explain his actions and had refused to talk to the old man. Dumbledore's normally bright blue eyes had looked dull as they had watched the two boys walk out of the stunned Hall, not that Draco had cared. He had always considered the old fool to be manipulative, mainly due to the image of the senile old Headmaster which he presented to the world. Dumbledore was as slippery as a Slytherin.

Draco led Harry down the corridor leading to his Tower. He knew Harry needed time to think and the Tower was the perfect place. The privacy charm that Draco had placed around the tower to keep people out, kept even Dumbledore out - much to his amusement. He could comfort Harry in peace without the interference of Granger, Weasley, Black, Lupin, and especially the old meddlesome fool - Dumbledore. He refused to acknowledge the fact that having Harry close to him would calm his boiling Veela blood, which he was fighting to control, before he marched over to the Headmaster and did something he may live to regret.

As Draco led Harry to his Tower he noticed that Harry didn't seem to mind the direction that they were taking. However, Draco suspected that this might be because Harry didn't know where they were. His huge green eyes had been fixed on Draco's face since they had left the Hall - as if to reassure himself that Draco was really there, holding him. Draco found it strangely endearing, although he was alarmed at the childlike manner in which his mate was behaving.

When they arrived at the Tower, Draco guided Harry through the living room to a discrete door that almost blended in with the wall. The door led to a small staircase that was barely lit. Draco helped Harry climb the stairs, his arms still wrapped tightly around the dark haired Gryffindor. They passed another landing and continued to the next floor.

Once at the top of the staircase, Draco opened a door to reveal a beautiful room. The wallpaper was a soft mint green. The border was decorated with silver snakes, which seemed to slither in the light from the small fire, which had already been lit in preparation for Draco by the house elves.

A huge four-poster bed was the centrepiece of the room. The mahogany wood gleamed; the serpent carvings on the posts were delicate and beautiful. The drapes were a soft silver silk, tied back to reveal emerald green silk sheets and covered pillows. Harry pulled away from Draco and moved towards it. He lightly ran a hand down the silk sheets, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Perhaps it would make you feel better if you took a bath" Draco suggested gently, worried about the submissive way Harry was acting and not wanting Harry to assume that Draco had brought him here to bond. He had no intention of forcing Harry when he had no idea what was really happening to him. He wanted their bonding to be the most emotional and perfect moment of Harry's life. He didn't want Harry to regret it, and Draco knew that Harry would, if they consummated their relationship while he wasn't fully aware of anything.

Harry nodded and allowed himself to be propelled to a door on the opposite side of the room. Inside was an elegant bathroom; it was created from white marble, the fixings a gleaming silver. The bath was built into the floor and was large enough for Harry to swim around in. There was a separate shower, toilet and washbasin as well. Candles suspended in air lit the room, creating a warm glow which made Harry smile wanly. The candles created a very romantic atmosphere.

Draco turned the taps on and the bath was soon filled with vanilla scented water, a smell which Draco loved. Harry was still standing near the doorway, with a half dreamy expression on his face as he inhaled the scent.

With a smile, Draco moved forward. He hesitated, unsure of whether to undress the docile boy, but on receiving no reaction he began to undo Harry's school robe to reveal a pair of tight fitted black trousers and a plain white shirt, which emphasised the lithe body underneath. Draco had to fight back a moan which threatened to slip past his slightly parted lips at the sight. Harry was beautiful.

He was surprised that Harry didn't protest. He just stood there, allowing himself to be undressed, his huge green eyes fixed intently on the top of Draco's head. Draco felt a surge of love when he realised that Harry trusted him utterly and completely, and didn't appear to show any fear that Draco would force him to do something he wouldn't want to do.

The robe slipped to Harry's feet in a pool of black cloth and Draco carefully lifted his hands and slowly began undoing the buttons on his shirt. His fingers lightly caressed the tanned skin of Harry's chest for a moment before he slid his hands to his shoulders, sliding the material off Harry's body in one fluid motion.

Draco's breath hitched slightly as he stared at Harry's half naked body. The nipple ring gleamed in the dim light, tempting him and he barely restrained himself from touching it. Instead, he lowered his slightly trembling hands down to Harry's waist.

Draco slowly undid the button and zip which fastened Harry's trousers before sliding his hands to the other boy's hips. He slid the trousers over the tiny waist, all the while marvelling at how slim Harry was, so that they fell to the floor.

Harry kicked off his shoes and trousers and pulled off his socks. He stood up, a blush rising to his cheeks as Draco's smouldering eyes travelled around his body, lingering on his nipple ring and the tight fitting black silk boxers which he was still wearing. They had been a gift from Hermione, for his sixteenth birthday.

"I can... I'm okay now. I can finish the rest myself" Harry muttered, clearly embarrassed.

"I'll leave you then" whispered Draco, his voice strangely husky as he gave Harry one last lustful look before leaving the room to give Harry his privacy. It was clear that he had had to gather all of his self-control to be able to leave his mate alone, untouched, in such a state.

Harry stripped completely and lowered himself into the bath, sighing in satisfaction as the magically heated water soaked and relaxed his tense muscles. He found a bottle of shampoo and carefully washed his hair. He closed his eyes, feeling relaxed. It felt nice to be cared for by the Veela.

He opened them again when he heard the door opening and saw Draco picking up his clothes. He smiled at Harry and gestured to the towels and the black silk pyjamas which he had set out for Harry to use. Harry smiled gratefully, pleased that he wouldn't be forced to wear his robes again. Just the thought of wearing them made his blood boil in anger with the need to go to Dumbledore and yell at him once again.

"Thank you."

"Don't stay in too long - Dobby brought up some lunch for us to eat. You haven't eaten since breakfast" Draco murmured gently.

Harry nodded and watched as Draco disappeared again.

Draco had been so gentle with him, which was out of character, and just for him, Harry. He had been there for him, holding him, whispering to him, calming him completely. He had never been so furious in his life, he realised with a sinking heart, remembering Dumbledore's sad face.

Everything he had ever known about himself had been taken away. He had believed in his mother's love, only to have his belief shattered with the discovery of being the Heir of Gryffindor. That had hurt; he had to admit, but the thing which had hurt Harry the most was the fact that Dumbledore had sent him towards danger without telling him the truth.

He could have died never knowing anything about his own family, except the little Sirius and Remus had been able to tell him from their days at Hogwarts. He knew very little about his mother, due to Petunia's hatred towards her sister, and the fact that his father had come from the Gryffindor bloodline had stunned Harry completely.

His attention wandered back to Draco. Draco had been so gentle, managing to control himself while he nearly stripped his mate completely naked. He had liked being so close to Draco, he had to admit. He had felt loved when those gentle hands had caressed him, almost as if Draco had believed that he could break like glass if he was handled too roughly.

He realised that he needed Draco. Draco would always be there for him, no matter what. Draco was stability and he truly cared about him. Oh, he knew that Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione loved him, but he needed the love of a lover, not of a friend or fatherly figure.

Harry rinsed off the soap and climbed out. He dried himself and dressed in the pyjamas - revelling in the feel of silk against his damp skin. He hastily dried his hair and stepped out of the room back into the bedroom.

Draco was lounging on the bed when Harry reappeared. His eyes instantly fixed on Harry's slender form. Harry's eyes roamed around the room, noticing a beautiful dressing table, large wardrobe and a large window over looking the Quidditch pitch which he had not noticed on first entering the room.

"It's a lovely room" Harry admitted, breaking the silence.

"Thank you. There's a brush on the dressing table which you can use to brush your hair" Draco replied calmly.

Harry made his way over to the dressing table where a silver backed brush and comb set was laid out neatly. He picked up the large silver brush and sat down on the stool. He began brushing his hair automatically, studying his reflection in the mirror carefully.

"You're very beautiful" Draco said truthfully, meeting Harry's eyes through the reflection.

Draco watched as the green eyes lowered, hiding the thoughts within them as a blush rose and spread across Harry's cheeks. He was telling the truth. Harry was beautiful - beautiful, pure, and unique. The greatest attraction to Harry though was the fact that he was Draco's, and only Draco's.

Harry finished brushing his hair and moved over to the bed. There was a tray similar to the one Draco had given him that morning in bed. It was filled with bowls of vegetables, a plate of meat, two goblets of pumpkin juice and a large strawberry cheesecake. It seemed that Dobby still knew which were his favourite foods, Harry thought with a smile.

Harry sat down next to the Veela, careful not to knock the tray over. He picked up a roast potato and popped it into his mouth, savouring the taste with delight. Draco eyed him in amusement, glad that Harry had escaped from his earlier submissive behaviour.

"Hungry" he teased with a grin.

"Yeah" Harry smiled easily.

Draco handed him a fork and together they finished the meal. Draco found himself hypnotized by the way Harry ate. It was careful, but as if Harry truly loved the simple task of eating. He wondered idly how Harry never got fat with the amount of food he appeared to eat.

"Dobby always gives me my favourite foods" Harry grinned.

"So I gathered. As soon as I called him and told him to prepare a meal for us, he said that he knew exactly what you'd like. He used to work for my father, at the Manor, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah. I freed him in my second year" Harry grinned at the memory.

"I hated you for that. Dobby was my favourite house elf" Draco mourned, wanting to cheer the other boy up.

Harry laughed.

"Have you calmed down properly now"

"Yes. I don't know what happened" Harry confessed.

Draco frowned.

"You lost control and your anger made your magic react to your feelings. I suppose it also had something to do with the Gryffindor powers coming into play as well. After all, you always seemed more powerful when angry or emotional. I think your power is probably connected with your emotions" he said thoughtfully.

"I lost it! I yelled at Dumbledore! Hell, I spat at Dumbledore" moaned Harry.

"He'll get over it. Personally, I think you were right. He shouldn't have kept it a secret from you. You'd be better off letting him explain everything and then deciding from there. I think he truly cares for you Harry, even if he does have a funny way of showing it. Deep down, you know that you're special to him."

"Maybe. I think I need some time to cool down first" Harry said with a wry smile.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like" said Draco softly, not wanting the boy to leave but also not wanting to pressure Harry into staying at the Tower if he didn't want to.

"I'd like that" Harry confessed truthfully, another blush starting to cover his face.

And Harry did want that. He felt safe in the Tower, knowing that Draco would protect him if the need arose. Harry wanted to be protected more than anything else. He wanted to feel safe and loved, something he had never experienced.

At the Dursley's house he had been regarded with resentment. He was something that they had to care for, due to their fear of the wizarding community, but they hated him. He represented everything they hated, and they feared him.

At Hogwarts Harry may have found a home and family, but he was not safe. He was expected to save the wizarding world constantly, risking his own life for the greater good. It was hard, sometimes, to know that you were liked because you were a hero, the saviour.

Harry just wanted to be loved for who he was – Harry.

It was later that day when they heard a knock at the portrait. After finishing their meal, they had curled up on the bed, talking quietly about their years at Hogwarts, their friends, their houses, homework and even the teachers they most liked and hated.

Draco had been careful to avoid any sensitive subjects, knowing that Harry wasn't emotionally able to have a heart to heart or to talk about their strange relationship, at least just yet. He was just glad to be able to spend some time, in private, getting to know his mate.

Harry had calmed down completely and had even moved closer to Draco, placing his head under Draco's chin, which had made Draco inwardly smile. They were arguing about whether Snape was a horrible teacher when they heard Merlin shout from his portrait.

"There's a mad man and his mutt down here wanting to get in"

Harry had simply grinned wildly, burying his face in Draco's shoulder to muffle his laughter.

"Do you want them to come in" Draco asked softly, not wanting to do anything Harry may not want. He knew that Harry was close to his godfather and Remus Lupin but he may not want to confront them at the moment.

"Yes. Tell Merlin to let them come in."

"LET THEM IN" Draco yelled, careful not to yell in Harry's ear.

Several minutes later, a flustered Remus Lupin and Sirius Black appeared at the doorway to the bedroom. Remus smiled at them, although he looked amused at seeing Harry curled up in Draco's arms. Sirius just smiled sadly at Harry, moving to sit down on the bed.

"I guess you heard about my fit in the Great Hall" asked Harry quietly.

"Yes" Sirius said carefully.

"I lost it" Harry shrugged.

"I think Albus was actually gobsmacked" Remus added with a smile, his golden eyes twinkling with suppressed mischief.

Harry laughed loudly.

"Good. The old fool deserves to be knocked off his pedestal for a few days" drawled Draco.

"You didn't know about my dad either, did you" guessed Harry.

"No" said Remus.

Sirius simply shook his head. The article had been a genuine shock to the animagus and the werewolf, and they whole heatedly agreed that Harry had the right to react the way he had. Albus needed to know that Harry was no longer a child, no matter how much Sirius and Remus hated to say it. They wanted nothing more than to protect Harry but it was unavoidable.

"I don't know what got into me. I think it was the fact that everyone knew more about my family than I did. I know you tell me about my mum and dad as much as you can but it's just not the same. I mean, Dumbledore knew why Voldemort wants to kill me and he never said. That's what hurts the most, the fact that I trusted him, and he betrayed me."

"You have every right to be as angry as you want with Albus. I think he realises that, but he does have an explanation, Harry. I think you should at least talk to him" Sirius said gently, reaching out and stroking Harry's cheek tenderly.

"I know. I just want to stay here for a bit. Draco told me that he couldn't get in without him letting him in, and I feel...I don't know...I guess I feel safer" Harry confessed.

"Then stay here. I have to admit, from what Ron told me, he's done an excellent job of calming you down" teased Sirius with a suggestive wink.

Remus hit him around the head.

"Sirius"

"Ahhh! Moony, get off me. Harry knows I'm only joking" complained Sirius.

"Then stay out of your godson's love life" snapped Remus, clearly embarrassed. Remus knew that he Veela and their mate had to have a sexual relationship in order to bond, but he did not want to know any details. Harry was like a son to him.

"I think I deserve to know if my godson has bonded with a Veela, Moony" argued Sirius.

"We haven't done anything" added Harry hastily, seeing how Remus was about to launch into a lecture.

All eyes switched to him and Harry blushed crimson, avoiding Sirius' eyes.

"Harry was in no fit state to bond, and I certainly would never have taken advantage of him when he was barely able to think" Draco said in a moment of honesty. He didn't want Sirius to disapprove of their relationship any more than he already did. Harry would do anything for him, and Draco knew without a doubt that if Sirius requested him to stop seeing the Veela then he would.

Harry looked at him, tilting his head to study the blond Slytherin. Their eyes connected and Harry felt the same magnetic pull towards the other boy. He could feel his resistance begin to weaken, but couldn't pull away.

"I believe you" Sirius said, noticing the look.

Harry blinked, the connection breaking. Draco fought back a curse, knowing that Harry had been susceptible to his persuasion, and the more Harry gave in now then the sooner they would bond.

"Good. I suppose Weasel and Granger are panicking that I abducted their little hero" Draco asked, clearly amused at the thought, hiding his anger at having the connection broken.

Harry elbowed him in the ribs and Draco winced at the contact. Harry had surprisingly bony elbows.

"It's Weasley or Ron; make a decision and stick with it" he ordered.

With a sigh, Draco reluctantly nodded, much to Sirius and Remus' amusement, knowing that Ron Weasley was a constant in Harry's life and probably always would be. Sirius winked at Harry, pleased to see Harry not submitting to the Veela's dominance, something he had been secretly worrying over. Draco scowled.

"And don't think that I'll allow you to visit often, Black" he added, even though he knew that he would never turn the man and his friend away; they were an important part of Harry's life after all, and by isolating them he would force Harry away from him.

"I've only come to make sure Harry is okay. He's like a son to me and Moony" Sirius shrugged, but there was a glimpse of defiance in his blue eyes.

"Thanks Sirius" Harry said softly, reaching out a hand to touch the man's arm.

Sirius instantly took it in his own, smiling at the boy that was the only living reminder to his deceased best friend. Harry looked so much like James that it sometimes hurt to look at him, but Sirius knew that as long as Harry lived so would James – James lived through his son.

"You mean everything to Moony and me. Doesn't he, Remus" Sirius smiled, feeling suddenly emotional.

"'Of course he does. He's the only member of the new generation of Marauders" Remus grinned.

"The last of the Marauders" Sirius groaned in despair.

"Unless we have children" Draco added with a smirk.

Harry flushed at the Veela's comment. He wanted children, yes, but not now. They were in the middle of a war. That was one of the reasons why Harry was adamant on withholding the bonding – he knew that once they bonded there was a chance of conception every time they consummated their relationship, and he would not be able to fight Voldemort while worrying over a defenceless child.

"I forgot that male Veela couples could have children" Remus said with a smile.

"You want kids" asked Sirius in surprise, staring at the Veela.

"Yes, but if Harry does not want them then it would not bother me, but I really need an heir for the Malfoy estate" Draco shrugged, trying to hide the wistfulness in his voice. Malfoys were not supposed to show emotion, after all.

"Of course, Lucius Malfoy would want a grandchild. Have you heard anything from your father yet" asked Remus, clearly curious.

"Not yet. However, I think he will be in for a big surprise when he reads that article. He'll probably visit soon. He knows that he can do nothing to stop our relationship, and contrary to popular belief, my father does not torture me during the school holidays. Even he cannot stop a Veela from wanting their mate, even if the match is nearly impossible to believe, as in this case."

"He will tell Voldemort" Sirius added, worried about his godson. He may trust Draco not to harm Harry but Lucius Malfoy was different. Lucius was not tied to Harry and had tried to kill him in the past, through the Chamber of Secrets and at the Death Eater reunion during the final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

"Voldemort will already know by now, as I'm betting he gets the Daily Prophet so that he can see what's going on in the Wizarding world" Harry said with a shrug.

"I suppose you're right. After all, he can't want you dead any more than he already does" mused Sirius.

"That was so comforting, Sirius" said Remus in frustration, rolling his eyes.

Harry laughed at their antics.

"He's right though - and in some strange way, it actually made me feel better" Harry gasped between laughs.

"Well, he won't touch you" Draco said with a shrug, a trace of the usual arrogance tingeing his voice.

All eyes moved to Draco, obviously waiting for an explanation, and the Veela sighed exaggeratedly, but he was unable to deny Harry anything. He knew that Harry was oblivious to the Wizarding World society, especially the pure blooded members.

"My family is an important family in the wizarding world. Our bloodline is one of the most reliable and powerful ones throughout the world. I hardly doubt that Voldemort would destroy it because of a feud with Harry Potter, whom, might I just add, has done nothing to provoke him. I mean, he'll want us to continue the Malfoy line before he tries anything. Even if anything happens to Harry, which it won't, I will never have another partner. I'll remain childless, and my father doesn't want that. I think that at the moment we are relatively safe from attack" Draco explained.

"You are right" Remus said thoughtfully.

Harry couldn't help but be feel relieved. Until he and Draco had a child, his life would be relatively normal compared to what he had lived so far. It felt good to be able to relax – he knew that Draco would protect him from his father and Voldemort.

After Sirius and Remus had left, having promised that they would visit again as soon as they could, Harry had waited in the bed for Draco to return from the bathroom. He was a little nervous, hoping that Draco wouldn't require them being intimate. Harry wasn't ready to do anything sexual with the Veela.

While he was wondering whether he should approach the topic with Draco, the object of his thoughts reappeared wearing silver silk pyjamas. Harry decided not to talk about it, and instead, waited for Draco to make the first move.

The Veela merely slid into the bed, and there had been silence for a while before Harry dared to move closer to the other boy. He slipped his arms around Draco's waist, pressing his body as close to Draco's as he could. He wanted comfort.

Draco had carefully slid his arms around Harry, pulling him even closer, his breath lightly brushing Harry's cheek. Harry relaxed even more, knowing that Draco wouldn't pressure him.

"Goodnight" Harry murmured.

"Goodnight, Harry" Draco replied.

Harry soon fell asleep, dreams of Voldemort the farthest from his mind. He hadn't even realised that he hadn't had a vision ever since he had been told the news of him being Draco's mate, but if he had, he'd have wondered why. At the moment he was just pleased to be able to have peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.

The next morning they were awoken by a repetitive banging noise. Harry mumbled his protest, snuggling closer to the blond Slytherin for warmth and comfort. He didn't want to move at the moment – feeling perfectly content to stay where he was.

Draco, who was thrilled to realise that his mate was actually beside him and it wasn't a dream, smiled sleepily and opened his eyes. When he saw his father's falcon, Eradicator, pecking at the closed window, he sighed.

It seemed that his father had heard the news, and Draco was wary of his reaction. He loved his father, the man had been his idol when he was younger, but he wouldn't - couldn't - give up his mate. Harry meant too much to him.

He slipped out of the bed, carefully detangling himself from the still slumbering Harry before opening the window and accepting the letter off the haughty bird that promptly gave him a glare and flew off, presumably back to the Manor.

Draco had never liked the bird. It only liked Lucius, and with a name which was a synonym of murderer, Draco believed he had good reason to distrust the bird. It may be a beautiful creation, but it had a vile temperament.

He eyed the letter warily and turned back to the bed to see Harry sitting up, hair the usual tousled mess, green eyes slowly taking in the scene, even if it was a little hazy due to the fact that he'd taken out his contacts the night before. His green eyes narrowed in apprehension when they fell to the letter in Draco's hand, clearly realising who it was probably from.

"Who's it from" asked Harry, even though he had already guessed.

"My father."

Draco climbed back onto the bed and carefully undid the sealed envelope. He took a deep breath and began to read out loud:

"_Dear Draco,_

_Your mother and I were immensely surprised, to say the least, when we read the article about your chosen mate. At first, I believed that it was one of those false rumours that that meddlesome old witch had created to gain a larger audience. However, I have received no letter from you denying the rumours and therefore have come to the conclusion that the article is based on actual fact._

_Although I was shocked at first, I am relatively pleased to see that you have chosen an independent, relatively pureblood mate. Your mother was overjoyed at the news and sends her best wishes to both you and Harry._

_She left the dining room muttering about baby clothes and nurseries so be prepared for letters filled with absolute rubbish sometime in the near future… She is positive that you will have a beautiful baby girl whom she can talk to about lipstick and other such nonsense._

_We have already sent a letter to Dumbledore requesting your permission to attend a dance which your mother is arranging in honour of your Inheritance, and now, as your mother put it, your future with your mate._

_I hope that you are having no problems so far, but try not to kill your mate. As you know, nothing anyone can do can change your decision and I hope you have learnt to accept it._

_I am pleased to add that Voldemort actually found the situation hilarious when he read it. I don't know whether that is a bad thing or a good thing but I thought that I should inform you. I'd rather be optimistic than pessimistic._

_Congratulations, Draco. I hope to see you soon. Your mother will send you the details about the dance within the next few days._

_Your Father."_

"Well, that was friendly" remarked Harry in astonishment, having thought that the letter would contain threats, even if Draco had declared that Lucius cared for him earlier.

Draco leaned over and kissed his forehead in a gesture of affection, clearly amused. He knew that Harry would be shocked at discovering that Lucius Malfoy was actually a human being, and he hoped that the two would put aside their differences and establish a relationship. He didn't want to lose his father, or choose between them, but if forced to Harry would win.

"Just wait until we get owls after owls of baby things from my mother" he laughed, not bothering to hide his emotions when he was alone with his mate.

Draco was pleased that his father had accepted the relationship. He hadn't wanted to lose his family over something he couldn't control. Even if they were cold hearted people to the public, they doted on him in private, one of the reasons why Draco was spoilt – not that he'd admit it out loud.

"She must want a grandchild very much" Harry murmured.

"She always wanted lots of children, but sadly, she was never able to get pregnant after me" Draco confessed.

"I don't mind, you know. It's just I don't want to...bond just yet. I'm not ready. I do like you though, and I've accepted it" Harry said suddenly.

"I'm not forcing you to bond with me, Harry. We're sixteen years old. We have the rest of our lives to be together and have children. Ignore my mother... I'll talk to her, and tell her that we're not bonded yet."

"NO" Harry said quickly.

Draco eyed him in confusion, not understanding why his mate wanted him to lie about the situation.

Harry blushed.

"I'll be okay with it. I do want children" Harry confessed, explaining his feelings.

"Really?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I've always wanted a large family" Harry blushed furiously, avoiding Draco's eyes.

"Really" Draco repeated, voice slowing to a drawl. He was imagining the Manor filled with several green eyed, blonde haired children… His and Harry's children. The thought made Draco want to scream with triumph. His mate had accepted the situation and wanted to mate with him, even if he wasn't ready to bond just yet.

"Yes. I always wanted a brother or sister" Harry said softly, thinking back to his lonely childhood.

"Then we'll have a large family" Draco said simply, a sparkle in his eyes.

"I think you're just thinking about the conception" Harry couldn't help but laugh, a blush covering his cheeks at the thought.

Draco smirked wickedly, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Of course I am. I can't wait to have you in my arms, completely willing to bond with me" Draco confessed, deciding to be brutally honest.

"I will - bond with you I mean."

"I know."

Draco lightly gripped his hand and pulled him into his arms. Harry sighed and relaxed into the embrace, liking the way Draco's fingers stroked his back in a soothing motion. Suddenly, Draco sat up looking at Harry with a glint of chagrin in his eyes.

"I just realised! Mother will be informing my grandmother - and she's even worse! We will soon be hounded by letters concerning baby clothes and colours for the nursery" Draco groaned. He didn't want his family to scare Harry away with their delight at the prospect of an heir.

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed. Lifting tear filled green eyes to the Veela's, he smiled lopsidedly, unaware of the way Draco's heart clenched at the sight.

"I don't mind."

Harry meant it. Draco obviously cared for his family, but Harry was secure with the knowledge that the Veela would chose him. He knew how important family was, however, due to never having one of his own, and he didn't want to separate Draco from his. He could put up with the Malfoys unless they gave him further reason to distrust them.

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**End of chapter****8**

**Please review.**


	9. chapter 9

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

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**Dumbledore Explains:**

It was the next day when Dumbledore sent an owl requesting Harry to visit his office. Harry had been expecting the other man to contact him, as he knew that Dumbledore would want to explain everything to him to try to earn Harry's forgiveness.

Harry read it out loud, showing to Draco that he trusted him. Draco had read a private letter from his father to him and Harry wanted to return the gesture. He could tell by the look in Draco's eyes that he was pleased.

_"Harry,_

_I know that at the moment you are angry with me, and I apologise profusely for hurting you. If you come to my office this afternoon, all will be explained to you._

_Professor Dumbledore."_

Harry had sat on the bed in silence since then, thinking deeply. He did want to give the old wizard a chance to explain his actions, mainly due to the fact that he wanted to forgive the other man. He wanted Dumbledore to apologise and continue acting as he had been, but Harry didn't want the lies. He wanted the truth, however harsh and unbelievable it was.

Draco was anxious to understand what Harry wanted to do, but he kept up his mask. He didn't want to influence Harry's decision by showing how much he disliked the meddling old coot. Harry genuinely cared for Dumbledore, and Draco understood why. If he hadn't been taught the ways of manipulation, he doubted he'd even notice how manipulative Dumbledore was. Most students, except Slytherins, never noticed, and the wizarding world in general adored the Headmaster.

In the end, Harry did ask Draco for his opinion, and Draco, upon staring into his mate's confused green eyes, couldn't bring himself to be completely honest. Instead, he managed to tell the truth while minimizing Draco's own feelings on the matter.

"It's up to you Harry. You know I don't like him, but I think that you should at least see what his explanation is. I'll even go with you if you want" offered Draco.

Harry smiled, green eyes glowing. He appreciated Draco's behaviour, knowing that the other boy was biased in his opinion towards the Headmaster. Draco Malfoy may have gone to Dumbledore to ask for help in breaking the Veela situation to Harry, but he didn't trust the other man. He wouldn't be Lucius Malfoy's son if he did.

"I'd appreciate that."

Harry hesitated before reaching up and lightly brushing his lips over Draco's in a soft, brief kiss. He pulled back to meet dazed silver eyes before he hastily left the bedroom, making his way down to the living room, embarrassed at his own actions.

Draco sighed in relief. It was late afternoon and it had taken Harry all day to decide whether or not to go. He knew that Harry would never forgive himself if he didn't go, and that he needed to understand why Dumbledore had acted the way he had.

"He makes it so hard for me and yet he's completely oblivious to it" Draco sighed out loud before making his way to follow Harry, a hand lightly tracing his lips where Harry had kissed him, his skin still tingling. But Draco knew that being with Harry was worth the torment. It was worth everything.

They soon arrived at Dumbledore's office and Harry hesitated before saying the password to the gargoyle. It was obvious that Harry wanted to bolt back to the Tower, and although Draco would like nothing better than to remain at the Tower with Harry alone for all eternity, he knew that they couldn't. Harry's own self-sacrificing Gryffindor blood wouldn't allow it.

"Chocolate frogs" Harry said quietly.

After they climbed the stairs, they waited outside the door for a moment before Draco reached out from behind Harry and knocked loudly. Harry rolled his eyes. However much Draco had changed, he was still the arrogant, haughty heir of the Malfoy fortune when in public.

"Come in" called a voice.

Draco opened the door and calmly held it open so that his mate could pass. Harry eyed the Veela in amusement before stepping into the room. Harry sighed, already regretting his decision to come. He regretted it even more when he realised that the room was filled with people, many of whom Harry had never met before, and they all turned instantly and stared at them.

"Harry, Draco, please come and sit down" said Dumbledore immediately, gesturing to two spare seats, standing up to greet the two boys. His blue eyes were strangely serious, and the expression was disturbing on the usually jovial face.

Harry scowled at his tone, believing it to be patronising, and moved to sit down. Before he could even touch the seat, he was swung up into a pair of strong arms and settled onto a soft lap, a pair of silver eyes watching him with a mischievous smirk.

"Draco" Harry gasped, shocked by the action.

"May I ask why you are so indignant? I am well within my rights as a Veela to touch you in public and I have no intention of spending the next few hours bored senseless, listening to Dumbledore make his pathetic excuses when I could be amusing myself with holding you."

Harry's mouth opened, as if to protest, but no sound came out. He blinked. Draco had made a valid point, and Harry owed him for offering his support. He could have influenced Harry into declining Dumbledore's invitation, but he had remained neutral, not allowing personal dislike to affect his opinion.

Dumbledore coughed, silently amused by the Veela's behaviour, but he knew exactly why Draco had done it. It was a sign of possession. The Veela was showing the room that Harry was now his mate, and that Harry was beginning to accept his position. Draco was also telling them that they needed to respect Harry for what he was to become – a Malfoy.

Draco sent the usual Malfoy superior smirk in the Headmaster's direction, knowing that he had understood the implicit message, and Harry couldn't help it - he laughed. He found Draco's arrogant attitude amusing rather than offensive.

"You're such a snob" he told Draco in between his snorts of laughter.

"You should thank Merlin that you are my mate and I am unable to hurt you, otherwise you would have suffered a rather painful death by now for that remark" Draco drawled, slipping his arms subtly around Harry's slender frame so that the Gryffindor was skilfully trapped.

"And you're just lucky that I don't feel like yelling sexual harassment" Harry smirked right back.

"You wouldn't do that" said Draco confidently.

"Why not"

"Because then my dear old mother would blame it all on extra hormones" Draco smirked, eyes alight with what Harry recognised as humour.

Harry flushed, understanding what Draco meant. As much as he wanted children, he was not ready to bond, never mind the extra stress of a pregnancy and child. The time was not right. It was too dangerous.

"Hormones" asked a voice.

Startled, Harry turned his head to stare straight into Sirius' pale blue eyes. Harry wriggled to escape the arms holding him, to no avail. Acknowledging the fact that he couldn't greet his godfather properly, Harry sighed and reluctantly relaxed against the Veela.

"His mother seems to want grandchildren" Harry said with a shrug, successfully fighting back the threatening blush.

Sirius grinned, knowing that Harry wanted a family. He made a mental note to have a word with Draco about Harry's age – Harry was too young for children, at least at the moment. Harry was too young for any sort of commitment, no matter how mature he was for his age.

"I want a great-godson as well" Sirius whined, not showing his silent thoughts.

Remus sharply elbowed him in the ribs, golden eyes glowing with annoyance. Sirius rolled his eyes, used to the werewolf's behaviour by now. Remus was well known to be a prude and old fashioned regarding sexual relationships, no doubt due to his lack of experience. Sirius inwardly smiled.

"Moony" he complained.

"Stop behaving like an idiot" commanded Remus, shooting his friend a withering stare.

"But I want a baby" whined Sirius.

"I somehow doubt you will find anyone to procreate with you" sneered Snape from across the room.

"Why should I, when it's far easier to let Draco get Harry pregnant? Besides, Harry has to have a baby so that we can have a baby Prongs" Sirius protested calmly, knowing by Remus' face that he wouldn't get away with the usual remarks he spouted when around Snape.

"Sirius, as much as I appreciate your support in me getting your godson pregnant, I think it would be best that Dumbledore says what he has to say and then both Harry and I can leave" Draco put in, noticing Harry's embarrassment.

"Thank you, Draco" smiled Dumbledore.

"Don't smile at me - you remind me of my Grandfather" Draco frowned.

"Samuel Malfoy was a very intelligent man" Dumbledore smiled again.

"He was a nice man for a Death Eater - get on with it" snapped Draco impatiently.

Harry freed an arm and hit his head, causing several people in the room to laugh. Draco simply smirked and Harry could tell instantly that he was going to come up with something to make him blush. It seemed that the Veela liked nothing better than finding ways to make him redden. He was right.

"I never thought you'd like it rough, Harry" he sneered.

"Draco" Harry hissed, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Fine, I will allow you to continue your little heart to heart" Draco gave in with a sigh.

"I can't believe it! He's got you wrapped around his little finger" grinned Sirius, slightly shocked but not as much as the other people in the room, having witnessed Draco in private.

He promptly shut up when Remus glared at him. Sirius lowered his lashes, staring at the werewolf with mock apologetic blue eyes. Remus merely huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, mouth twitching with suppressed amusement.

"We match then, don't we" Draco smirked.

Sirius pulled a face, not denying the fact. Anyone who knew the ex-convict knew that Remus was able to get him to do just about anything. Sirius hated upsetting the werewolf, and was fiercely protective of the only other surviving member of the Marauders – he didn't count Pettigrew, who had killed his best friend.

"I brought you here to discuss something, which I should have told you earlier Harry. This, and all of the people here, is the Order of the Phoenix" Dumbledore explained.

"The Order of the Phoenix? Isn't that the Order that works against Voldemort" asked Draco with a frown, interested despite himself.

"And how does he know that" asked Mad Eyed Moody sharply, his magical eye fixed intently on Draco.

"My father is a Malfoy. We know everything" Draco shrugged carelessly, his posture indicating that he wasn't about to allow himself to be unnerved by the auror.

"You are correct. The Order of the Phoenix was set up the last time Voldemort came to power" Dumbledore said calmly.

"But why are you telling me this" Harry asked, a touch of annoyance in his voice. He wanted to know why Dumbledore had not told him the truth, not a lecture on the history of Voldemort's first reign.

"Your father was a member of the Order, Harry. It was for his safety that he joined. The Order is exclusive to those we can trust and everyone is tested frequently to see whether they are spying for the wrong side. It was your father that admitted to us, in a meeting, that the reason why Voldemort wanted him dead was because he was a descendant from Godric Gryffindor. We were shocked, but not surprised, as the Potter bloodline goes back to the very beginning of the Wizarding world.

We had to protect your father, and because of that, the Fidelius charm was used. Sadly, it failed, and your parents were killed. However, it was your father that made us promise to never tell you the truth. He made the whole Order promise never to tell you until you reached the age of twenty-one."

"So why didn't you tell me when they died? I mean, I know I'm not twenty-one years old but I think I had a right to know why my parents were killed" argued Harry angrily.

"We had promised on the oath of the Order and that oath must never be broken. I always honoured James's request. You have my apologies for hiding it from you Harry. I never meant to hurt you."

"It's done now, nothing can change the past" Harry muttered, looking away.

Draco's grip tightened slightly to offer reassurance and Harry smiled at him, glad of his support. The Veela's presence was strangely comforting.

"However, there is something I need to tell you. You came into your powers too early. The reason why we were promised to tell you at the age of twenty-one is due to the fact that on that day you would come into your own Inheritance. However, to our surprise it came earlier than expected, in the Great Hall when you lost your temper" Dumbledore smiled.

"That's why I lost control" Harry said thoughtfully, understanding.

"Yes. I must add that you have now made nearly the whole school literally terrified of you" said Dumbledore with a chuckle.

"But why did it come early" asked Draco, interested and worried at the same time.

"It seems that your mother did not in fact come from a muggle family. Your mother came from a long list of squib descendants from none other than Merlin himself" Dumbledore explained gently.

Harry felt all of the colour drain from his face. Draco held him tighter and Harry warily rested his head against his chest, needing the love that Draco gave without question.

"Merlin? Christ! Did Lily and James know" gaped Sirius, stunned beyond belief. He had known that Harry was powerful, but to be the heir of two powerful wizards was an incredible honour.

"No. I believe that they never knew."

"So what you're trying to say" sneered Snape"is that Potter is in fact the last descendant from Merlin."

"Yes" Dumbledore said softly, eyes filled with concern as they stared at Harry, who had paled drastically, green eyes wide with sudden fear and realisation. He knew the questions Harry would ask before they passed his lips.

"What about Voldemort? He has my blood! Won't that make him..."

"Harry, Voldemort did give you some of his powers the night he cursed you but you never gave him any powers when he took your blood. Yes, his blood does flow through your veins but he bares no scar, no mark to show he has transformed into another descendant. Your scar was a result of the Slytherin magic fighting the Gryffindor magic. Voldemort took your blood by force. On trying to kill you, Voldemort gave you willingly, his power, whereas your blood was taken forcefully" Dumbledore explained.

"So he isn't the heir of Gryffindor" asked Remus.

"No."

"Does Voldemort know about my mother" Harry hesitatingly asked.

"No, of that I can assure you."

"So you're the descendant from Merlin, Gryffindor and magically Salazar Slytherin" mused Draco, impressed.

"I guess" Harry said sadly.

"Only you would hate the fact that you are one of the most powerful wizards in the world" Draco said in frustration.

"You just don't like the fact that I'm stronger than you" teased Harry with a grin.

Draco scowled. He was a powerful wizard in his own right, having had several famous wizards in his family, and the magic from numerous magical creatures such as Veela who had married into the family.

"I have my Veela genes" he said defiantly.

"So you're going to seduce Voldemort" asked Harry in amusement.

Draco looked absolutely revolted at the very idea, causing several of the younger witches to erupt into giggles. Draco immediately pushed his attraction down, not wanting to cause a scene and interrupt the meeting.

"That is disgusting! I would have you know that Malfoys have superior taste and would never take a consort of such inferiority. Besides, I'll never want anyone but you. I don't want anyone but you" Draco said simply.

Their eyes met and Harry felt the now familiar magnetic attraction pulling him towards the blond holding him. Knowing he'd give in if he didn't look away, Harry looked towards Sirius, his face flushed and eyes glowing.

Draco mentally rolled his eyes. He knew that Harry was not ready to bond with him, and he understood, but the Veela within him was beginning too get impatient with waiting. The Veela wanted to claim what was his.

"You keep doing that" Harry argued.

"And you keep breaking the pull" Draco argued back.

Harry frowned at him, clearly getting angry at the conversation. His green eyes flashed with ire, narrowing slightly as they regarded the blond.

"I take that back. I had no reason to get angry with you" said Draco, realising that he'd pushed Harry too far.

The last few days had been heaven to Draco. He had been able to hold, caress and even kiss the boy of his dreams. They had shared the same bed, albeit innocently, and Draco didn't want it to end. He knew Harry was starting to get comfortable and relaxed around him and he didn't want to destroy that. He wanted to continue to accelerate their relationship.

"It's okay" Harry murmured, accepting Draco's apology.

"I guess that you'll be staying at the Tower" enquired Dumbledore with a smile.

"Yes" Harry said softly, avoiding Draco's eyes.

"Is it protected" asked McGonagall, purposely ignoring the fact that her student would be in close quarters with a Veela.

She considered the very idea unseemly. They were boys – children – and shouldn't be living together, alone, when they were sexually attracted to one another. She hadn't been able to believe her own ears, at first, when Draco Malfoy had confessed that Harry Potter was his mate. The only thing that had prevented her from trying to stop the entire situation was the fact that there was no way to prevent a Veela seducing their mate – and Dumbledore was encouraging them!

"Yes" said Draco.

"Put it this way, Mr. Malfoy doesn't want me in, and Merlin therefore won't let me in," chuckled Dumbledore.

"I don't like you" pointed out Draco with a smirk.

"Of course" Dumbledore beamed, knowing that Draco Malfoy had been brought up by a family who considered him to be a forgetful old loon. He was secretly pleased with the way everything was turning out: Harry had someone magically strong to protect and love him; and Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Malfoy family had joined their side, through the need to protect one of their own.

"You don't mind that I think that you're a manipulative fool" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Dumbledore smiled, and he didn't. How ironic was it that the people he tried to fool saw through his mask, while those who followed him remained blind to his almost Slytherin side? Albus Dumbledore may have been a Gryffindor, but hadn't the sorting hat itself suggested Slytherin, like in the case of Harry Potter?

"Good."

"Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater ," mumbled Mad Eyed Moody, eyeing Draco in open mistrust.

The Aurors had been trying for years, unsuccessfully, to try and frame Lucius Malfoy for the crimes he had committed, but the man was too slippery to catch – his wealth and 'generous' donations providing Fudge with the persuasion needed to dismiss Death Eater claims.

"Alastor" Dumbledore scolded him angrily, blue eyes flashing.

Lucius Malfoy may have been a Death Eater, but his son remained unmarked. It was the condemnation of men like Alastor, which created barriers between rivals. Draco was Harry's future husband, and Dumbledore would not see Harry hurt through other people's behaviour towards the boy he loved – even if Harry remained oblivious of his own feelings. Harry needed to be protected until the time was right for him to fulfil his destiny.

"I'm not a Death Eater" Draco said curtly, silver eyes narrowed in open dislike as they stared at the old auror, taking in the worn robe with a sneer, his old arrogance appearing easily with the accusation. He was a Malfoy, and they would learn that he deserved respect.

"Why not" asked Arabella Figg, her eyes fixed intently on his, asking the question many wanted to know, but feared to ask. Dumbledore frowned slightly, but did not interfere.

"I'm a Malfoy. I bow to no one" Draco hissed arrogantly.

"Your father does," pointed out Arabella.

"My father is not the one you are interrogating. However, I will be courteous…even to those beneath me…" Draco drawled nostrils flared. She was a woman and Malfoys were always polite to members of the opposite sex, at least, when in public.

"My father's loyalty is tied to the mark he bares, something which he cannot control. He does not follow Voldemort blindly, like many of the other Death Eaters, without seeing his faults. He would not allow myself to lower my self-respect and commit the same mistake he made. Whatever foolish beliefs you hold about my father, know this: he would die for any member of his family, as would I. Our family is one of trust. We trust only ourselves."

"You always did have too much pride" Snape sighed, eyeing the Veela with a mixture of amusement and slight disapproval.

Harry rolled his eyes. He would never understand Slytherins like the other houses: Hufflepuffs were loyal until death; Ravenclaws were studious and thrived for knowledge; Gryffindors were the ones who faced death bravely, not going down without a fight; Slytherins were a bafflement to members of any other house.

They were too proud for their own good, and often took the wrong path – towards darkness - but once they committed themselves to something, or someone, no matter who or what they showed the same loyalty as the Hufflepuffs. They threw themselves into danger as frequently as the Gryffindors, but had the intelligence and cunning to get themselves out of the trouble they had got themselves in. They appeared to be an assortment of all the other houses.

"Anyway, I suggest you get a good night's sleep. You have classes tomorrow, after all" Dumbledore suggested.

They stood up, Draco allowing Harry to reluctantly leave his lap, and were about to leave the room when Dumbledore stopped them, a smile on his wizened face. Harry did not like the look in his eye. It was almost gleeful.

"I received a letter from your parents this morning, Draco."

Severus' mouth actually twitched to fight a smile at the horrified look on the Veela's face. Draco may have gladly given his own life for his family, but he still did not like confrontations with them, and his student was intelligent enough to know that their letter to Dumbledore could have been about only one thing, considering their contempt towards the Headmaster.

"What did my mother want" Draco asked weakly.

"She requested your presence at a ball they were having at the Manor, in honour of your Inheritance and mate" Dumbledore beamed.

"Oh..." Draco said, some colour going back into his face.

"And she also told me to tell you that she would arrive tomorrow morning. She mentioned something about visiting Diagon Alley for a gift for her grandchild" Dumbledore twinkled.

Harry's eyes widened in shock. A grandchild? But he and Draco were not even bonded! How could they have conceived a child when they had not…Harry blushed heatedly, hastily thinking about something else.

"My mother's mental" Draco moaned helplessly, clearly imagining his mother buying the whole toyshop.

"She seemed interested in talking to Harry. She enquired whether he was healthy or not."

"Of course Harry's healthy" raged Sirius, inwardly finding the scene amusing, but offended at the thought of anyone considering Harry to be unfit to produce a child.

"She'll be visiting tomorrow" Dumbledore smiled, confirming Draco's first assumption.

Harry hesitantly looked at Draco, sensing the rapidly increasing agitation in the blond. What was wrong with Draco?

"Please tell me that she's leaving Marissa at home" Draco pleaded, face paling slightly.

"I'm afraid not."

Dumbledore actually grinned.

"Joy" Draco muttered to himself, casting a dark look in Severus' direction. The Potions Master merely raised an eyebrow, snorting back another bark of laughter.

Harry and Draco left Dumbledore's office and walked back in the direction of their Tower. Harry appeared tired, so Draco easily slipped an arm around him, pleased to have an excuse to touch his mate, drawing him close so that some of his weight was balanced between them both. Harry smiled at him gratefully, green eyes weakening Draco's self control.

"Thanks."

"You're tired" Draco asked, voice gentle.

"Yes."

"Then when we go back to the Tower you can rest" Draco suggested gently, trying not to make it seem like an order. He knew that Harry didn't like to be controlled any more than he did and would resist a direct order like the rebellious teenager he was.

Harry nodded, smiling lightly, inwardly liking the Veela's mothering behaviour. It was rare that anyone worried about his health. Sirius and Remus did, sure, and Hermione often encouraged him to eat, but he hadn't anyone to care about him constantly.

When they arrived at the Tower, Harry immediately made his way to the bedroom, yawning tiredly. He sat down on the bed, sprawling out on the silk sheets with a sigh of contentment, eyes fluttering closed. He lay there for several moments, until he realised that sleep eluded him. He sighed again, this time in frustration.

Draco was downstairs studying in what Harry knew to be the study, completing an assignment. Harry himself had no homework, as Hermione had forced him to complete all of his assignments over the weekend. She had also forced Ron to do it – muttering about them needing to organise themselves before the NEWT's.

He thought about Draco. It must have been hard on the Veela to be so close to him when all he wanted to do was bond. Harry wondered whether he was getting tired of him but Harry instantly dismissed the idea. Draco had been nothing but understanding and affectionate towards him since the beginning of their strange relationship.

Suddenly, Harry wanted the Veela near him. Draco soothed him. He found the Veela's soft breathing a comfort, and enjoyed the Veela's presence and soft laughter. He wondered whether him being unable to sleep was due to the fact that his body and mind had become accustomed to sleeping with the Veela wrapped around him, protecting him even in sleep.

Hesitating, he pushed his nervousness aside and called out.

"Draco"

There was silence and then the blond boy appeared in the doorway, a quizzical expression on his face. He leaned against the doorframe, watching his mate, inwardly controlling the sudden leap of desire at the sight of Harry. His mate was sprawled carelessly on their bed, the silk sheets rumpled under his slender frame; the green eyes were watching him, swirling with conflicting emotions; the dark hair tumbled over his forehead, making Draco long to run his fingers through it and discover whether it was as soft to the touch as he remembered it being. He raised an eyebrow at Harry's fidgeting, clearly amused at his nervousness.

"What is it" he asked softly.

"Do you want to kiss me" Harry blurted out, eyes going wide as he realised exactly what he had said.

Draco blinked, not expecting such a question. He didn't know whether Harry was serious, and didn't want to tell the other boy something which could make their relationship digress. He wanted nothing better than to tell Harry that kissing him would be a dream come true, but he control the impulse.

"Pardon" he asked instead.

"I…well…"

Draco couldn't prevent the shocked look that adorned his face when he finally understood that Harry wanted him to kiss him. He eyed the dark haired Gryffindor carefully, noticing the strangely bright green eyes. Harry blushed, looking at the floor in his embarrassment. For a moment Draco just watched him before he moved forward, a loving smile appearing on his face as he came to an understanding.

"Do you want me to kiss you, Harry" he asked, hoping he had read the signals correctly.

Harry looked up, startled, before he nodded slightly, his face a deep crimson and his eyes glowing with a strange curiosity which Draco found adorably appealing. Draco found himself smiling wider in delight; Harry, the boy he loved, wanted him to kiss him.

Draco had been afraid that Harry had only wanted to kiss him in the Great Hall for comfort, and although he had been thankful for the brief moment of intimacy with the Gryffindor, it had pained him to know that Harry had wanted nothing more.

He moved forward and sat on the bed next to Harry, who was watching him with wide green eyes. Draco idly made a mental reminder to have Harry's face painted. It was a beautiful face - the eyes the most amazing emerald.

He lifted a hand and cupped his cheek, pulling the boy to him. Harry's eyes fluttered closed and Draco placed his lips lightly over the Gryffindor's mouth in a tender, brief kiss, lingering slightly, their breaths mingling, before pulling away.

"Is that what you wanted" he teased softly.

"No... I want you to... to properly kiss me" Harry whispered, his voice hoarse.

The lashes fluttered open to reveal dazed green orbs. Harry stared into the Veela's eyes, feeling the familiar magnetic attraction towards the other boy increase as the stirrings of desire warmed his blood.

"What do you mean" Draco teased, wanting nothing more than to crush the other, smaller, body against him.

"I want you to kiss me properly... like the time you did on the sofa" Harry admitted with a blush.

Draco's breathing hitched. He had dreamed of that moment countless times at night, longing to be able to do the same again, but forced to hold back in fear of scaring the other boy away, but Harry was now giving him permission.

"Lie down" he said softly.

Harry lay down on the bed, obediently. He trusted Draco not to go any further than he wanted to go. He wasn't ready to bond, at least at the moment, but he wanted the Veela to touch him and to make the world fade away except for them – something which happened when Draco touched him.

"Close your eyes" Draco soothed.

Harry did so. After a few seconds he felt Draco move on the bed and then he felt the light weight of Draco's warm body covering his own. Harry's eyes shot open and he stared straight into a pair of bemused, lust filled silver eyes.

Harry opened his mouth to speak when he felt a light pressure stopping him. Draco's lips had pressed down on his own, caressing his mouth gently before his tongue probed, tracing his bottom lip teasingly, teeth nipping the soft flesh so that it swelled slightly with warm blood.

Harry eagerly gave in, loving the feelings that Draco could create within him. He opened his mouth and moaned softly when Draco's tongue explored his mouth, duelling with his own tongue. He didn't even try to fight the magnetic attraction which drew him closer to the other boy - he wanted to be touched, to be loved.

Draco slid his lips down to Harry's throat, sucking slightly, wanting to mark Harry as his. He knew that they couldn't bond. He knew that Harry wasn't ready for such a huge commitment, but he needed to mark Harry in some way. He needed to make Harry his.

"Draco..."

"Yes love"

"Kiss me again."

Draco looked into passion filled green eyes and knew without a doubt that he could not deny Harry anything. He couldn't. Whether the Gryffindor had realised it or not, Draco was hopelessly in love, and would strive to give his mate whatever he could. Nothing would ever be good enough for Harry.

"With pleasure..."

Harry awoke the next day feeling warm and contented. He snuggled closer, sighing his content, when a pair of arms wrapped around him, holding him close. His eyes fluttered open and he met Draco's amused grey eyes.

"Morning love" he murmured.

Suddenly remembering what they had done the night before, Harry blushed crimson. He lowered his eyes, unable to meet Draco's gaze any longer as embarrassment flooded him.

"You're beautiful" Draco murmured, kissing his flushed cheek tenderly.

Harry smiled weakly, raising his eyes slightly to look at Draco's face. The Veela was smiling broadly, a look of affection on his face and in his eyes as he watched his mate. He was obviously pleased at the progress they had made.

They had done nothing more than kiss, and the only clothes to be removed had been Harry's shirt, much to Draco's glee as he had been fascinated with the nipple ring ever since he had seen it. Draco had simply revelled in being able to touch Harry, telling him how beautiful he was and murmuring other endearments. They had talked about the bonding as well, and Harry had told him that he wanted it to be special.

'I'll make it the best night of his life...' thought Draco, tenderly stroking Harry's hair out of his eyes.

They had finally gotten ready. Harry had all but run to the bathroom to take a shower, leaving a smiling Draco on the bed. Draco grabbed a pair of black trousers, a white shirt, a pair of boxers and a pair of socks. He placed them just inside the door, careful not to intrude on Harry's privacy. Harry was self-conscious about his own appearance, even when Draco clearly worshipped him for how he was.

About half an hour later Harry emerged. Draco's clothes were slightly too big on him, but Harry seemed comfortable in them. His damp hair curled over his forehead, a pair of alert green eyes peering at him expectantly.

"You look fine" Draco reassured him.

Harry visibly relaxed. He knew that Draco would not let him go out in public looking unacceptable. The Veela had a fixation with keeping up appearances when in public, something he had no doubt been taught while at home.

"What size shoes do you take" Draco asked.

"Ten" Harry shrugged.

Draco leered, eyes softening as they filled with mischief. They lingered on Harry's face for a moment before lowering, skimming Harry's lower stomach appreciatively.

"You know what they say about big feet..."

Harry blushed crimson, knowing without a doubt what Draco was referring to. He may have been naive about relationships but there was no mistaking such a comment, particularly as Draco had been stripping him with his eyes.

Draco silently pulled out a pair of shoes from the wardrobe and cast a spell on them to change them to the correct size. He pretended not to notice Harry's red face as he handed Harry the shoes. He loved making Harry embarrassed.

Harry accepted the shoes, fumbling slightly, and nearly dropping them as their fingers touched. Draco smiled at his mate innocently.

Harry watched as the Veela sauntered into the bathroom to get ready. He heard the other boy's merry laughter through the door and shook his head. Smiling, he made his way to the dressing table, upon which he had placed his wand.

"Removerio wrinklentia" he muttered, flicking his wand towards the bed.

The covers were instantly smoothed out, all wrinkles removed. Harry grinned in satisfaction, thankful for the use of magic.

Harry had to admit that he had been surprised at how far they had gone last night. Harry was just thankful that Draco had not forced him to full sex. He needed time to get used to the idea, and he wanted it to be special, which he had admitted to Draco the night before.

"Thinking about me"

Harry blinked and as his eyes refocused he saw that Draco Malfoy was standing before him, dressed in his infamous Slytherin uniform, the silver hair damp and tousled. He must have been thinking for a while.

He grinned, amused to see the boy in a state less than his usual perfection. It seemed to make Draco even more lovable when he was able to witness the proud Veela in his most vulnerable moments. Harry also enjoyed being able to tease the boy who could so easily make him blush in embarrassment through one carefully chosen phrase.

"You need to brush your hair."

Draco moved easily to pick up the brush that Harry had used previously and quickly, but efficiently, brushed his hair into place. Harry moved towards the door. Meeting Draco's questioning eyes through the mirror, he smiled.

"I need to get my books from Gryffindor Tower" Harry said quietly.

Draco nodded and watched as the other boy left the room, understanding that Harry probably wanted to talk to his friends, Ron and Hermione in particular. He had to force his Veela instincts away – the Veela in him wanted to make sure that Harry was no further than two feet from him, where he could see him, protect him, love him.

Draco, who knew that Harry needed space, ached to be able to show his love physically, not for the sex, which he was sure would be terrific, but to create the bond between them. The bond which would make them inseparable.

Harry walked down to Gryffindor Tower. He met a concerned Fat Lady who asked him whether he was all right. After assuring her that he was, she let him through. She had always had a soft spot for him - probably because of his parents, and lately, ever since the 'Veela incident' as the Gryffindors called it, she had been mothering him.

"Harry"

A figure hurled itself at him and Harry gasped, stumbling back. He met the intelligent eyes of one of his best friends, Hermione Granger, with a grin.

"Nice to see you to" he grinned.

"Are you alright" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah... Hey... .er... Sorry I lost it" Harry said self-consciously.

"It's not your fault" Hermione said gently, dismissing his apology with a wave of her hand.

She pulled away and Harry met Ron's concerned face. The red head gave Harry a weak, genuine smile and Harry grinned back cheerfully. Ron instantly looked relieved at how happy his friend was. It was better than the anger he had displayed yesterday.

"Where have you been" he asked.

"With Draco" Harry shrugged non-committedly.

"Oh" Ron blushed.

Realising what his friend was thinking, Harry was started to deny doing anything with the Veela when he remembered the previous night. Harry flushed and looked away. Hermione giggled, finding the sight amusing.

"Bonded yet, Harry" she teased, curious.

"What? No" Harry gasped.

Ron looked relieved. Although he knew that Harry had begun to like the Veela he didn't want to lose Harry to him just yet. Harry was his best friend. He loved Hermione as well, but it was different to the love he had for Harry – fortunately. Draco Malfoy would have killed him if he cared for Harry the same way he cared for Hermione.

"I just stayed in his Tower to cool down. He made me see Dumbledore. He's explained it, and even though I'm still mad at him, I guess he had a reasonable excuse" Harry sighed, running a hand through his damp hair.

"You scared the hell out of us" Ron confessed.

Harry fidgeted uncomfortably. He knew that his display of wandless magic had been pretty impressive, by anyone's standards. Even he could not deny that he was a powerful wizard.

"I lost control of my magic" he mumbled.

"You okay, Harry" interrupted Seamus Finnigan who had just come into the room.

"Yeah - I'm fine, Seamus" Harry smiled.

"Good" the Irish boy grinned, moving closer.

Seeing the other boy's intention, Harry hastily moved towards the stairs. He had become wary of the other boy ever since Draco had opened his eyes about the Irish boy's real reason for his so called 'friendship', and he didn't want the Veela to lose control again after they had managed to stabilise their relationship.

"I need my books" he yelled before making a hasty exit.

"What did I do wrong" Seamus mourned with a pout, his eyes fixed on Harry's retreating back.

"Never mind, Seamus" Hermione said soothingly, absent-mindedly patting his back as she moved over to her book bag.

She grabbed it and made her way over to the portrait.

"Where are you going" asked Seamus in confusion.

"Library" Ron and Hermione said at the same time.

Hermione shot him a dirty look, which Ron pretended not to notice, and left the room with a huff.

"Girls..." Ron muttered.

"Boys..." agreed Seamus, eyeing the direction where Harry had disappeared with a thoughtful look.

Harry walked down to the Great Hall with Ron, Seamus and Dean. They were laughing as they entered the Hall, the others trying to keep Harry from noticing the looks aimed in his direction. Just as they stepped through the door, and before Harry knew what was happening, a beautiful woman walked up to him.

She was dressed in an elegant, and obviously expensive, blue silk robe. Her pale blonde hair was piled on her head in an elegant French knot, a few wisps escaping and framing an aristocratic face from which intelligent and serene blue eyes peered out through long and almost unnatural dark lashes, slightly smudged with a trace of makeup which only emphasised her sophistication and superiority – she didn't need make up to enhance her appearance.

"Narcissa Malfoy" she said softly, holding out her hand.

"Nice to meet you" Harry said nervously.

The woman smiled pleasantly at that, pleased at his greeting. She appeared friendlier than the last time he had seen her - at the Quidditch World Cup in the summer before his fourth year at Hogwarts. She was still beautiful; it seemed that Draco had inherited his features from his mother as well, Harry mused.

"I must admit that it was a surprise to learn about you and my son, but I always thought there was a lot of strong emotion between you two" Narcissa said smiling, flashing Harry a discrete wink.

Harry blinked, wondering whether he had just imagined Draco Malfoy's mother winking at him. This woman was completely different from his expectations and the woman he had briefly met at the Quidditch match.

"You're so much like your father, boy" said a soft, cultured voice.

Startled, Harry turned to see a tall, middle-aged woman who he guessed correctly was Marissa. Her eyes were a piercing blue, sharp in their intensity, and her hair was a dark brown, pinned lavishly upon her head. She was dressed expensively, in a robe similar to the younger woman by her side. She was obviously Narcissa's mother, as their face structures were identical.

'This was the woman that Draco was afraid of,' Harry thought.

"Thank you" Harry flashed her a genuine smile and her face softened slightly, just enough to be noticeable to those who knew what to look for, and Harry, who had been living with Draco, saw it immediately.

"Grandmother, stop teasing him" drawled Draco, suddenly appearing and dragging Harry deliberately away from his relations. Narcissa smirked at this, flashing Harry a second discrete, suggestive wink. Harry mentally sighed, it seemed that looks were not the only thing Draco had inherited from his mother.

Marissa, catching his eye, smirked, blue eyes peering from beneath lowered lashes so that Harry could catch a glimpse of the suppressed amusement in her gaze.

Harry blushed.

* * *

**End of chapter 9.**

**Please review.**


	10. chapter 10

**Disclaimer and warning at the beginning of first chapter.**

* * *

**The Malfoys:**

Draco had managed to persuade his family to visit Dumbledore, much to Harry's relief. He had been overwhelmed at meeting his future family, and had been alarmed to discover that his beliefs about yet another member of the Malfoy family were in fact untrue.

Narcissa, whom he had previously believed to be cold and malicious, appeared completely different. Combined with Draco, Harry wondered idly whether his opinion on the elder Malfoy male was wrong as well.

Draco had led him towards the Potions classroom, much to his distress. The only person he needed now to make him feel any worse was the dreaded Potions Master, none other than Severus Snape. It was a well known fact at Hogwarts that Snape detested Harry as much as he had detested the late James Potter.

"Sit down" Snape ordered coldly, his arms folded and robe swirling dramatically as he turned to glare at Harry.

Automatically, Harry sat down in his usual seat, barely registering the fact that Draco sat next to him on his right. Ron and Hermione sat in front of them, close enough to Harry to guard him from 'that blasted Veela' as Ron put it.

"Today we are studying the Unvelaia Potion. A potion master called Leon Bonneau created the potion in 1577. Bonneau was a French potion maker who spent most of his life creating potions in his laboratory. The potion, Unvelaia, is in fact a Veela repellent, and due to the...unusual circumstances at Hogwarts, both myself and Headmaster Dumbledore believed it would be wise to eliminate you all from feeling the Magnetic Attraction" Snape sneered, his eyes automatically meeting Draco's innocent silver eyes. He caught sight of Harry. "Well, boy, what are you waiting for? Write this down!"

"The potion will be given to all years this week, to prevent any of you drooling in my classroom" Snape added with a sneer.

The class began to mutter between themselves, several of the girls giggling while staring at both Harry and Draco. Snape glared, clearly not finding the situation 'cute,' as Lavender and Parvati did, if his icy glare in their direction was any indication.

"But of course, Mr. Potter will not be allowed to take it. After all, we can't deprive a Veela of its mate, can we" Snape added vindictively.

Harry blushed crimson at the comment, glaring at Snape angrily. He really hated the other man when he was like this. Harry respected Severus Snape for his spying abilities, knowing it took skill to deceive Voldemort, but he still couldn't stand the man.

Ron opened his mouth to snap something offensive to Snape, and was barely prevented by Hermione, who hastily elbowed him in the side. He glared at the girl by his side, but she merely sniffed at him, disapproval clear.

Draco, on the other hand, appeared completely unruffled, but his eyes glowed with anger at the insult to his mate and himself. He liked Snape, every Slytherin did. He cared for them, in his own way, and only interfered when it was necessary. He was a very intelligent, powerful man, and he was one of the best Potion Masters in the world. However, he would not get away with insulting his mate – no one would.

"I personally suggest you take it yourself, sir. We can't have you drooling in class either, can we? After all, it wouldn't do to be acting inappropriately" Draco said, voice innocent, but eyes narrowed slightly.

Snape eyed him in contempt, understanding the warning and meeting it with a raised eyebrow. The dark eyes moved to stare at Harry's blushing, smaller form, and Draco's body tensed, his Veela blood urging him to protect his mate. After several moments, Snape turned his eyes to the blackboard, much to Harry's relief.

"The ingredients are on the board, do not mess it up"

Draco and Harry immediately set to work. They worked individually. Harry knew that Snape was only allowing him to brew the potion in the hope that he failed. He was furious that the man had completely humiliated him, and cheapened his and Draco's relationship somehow.

"Calm down" Draco said soothingly, lightly brushing his arm in a gesture of comfort.

"I hate him" Harry hissed back.

Draco smirked, but inwardly he was angry. How dare Snape upset his mate – his actions could have caused their fragile relationship to disintegrate. Draco was aware that Harry was gradually beginning to trust him, and Draco didn't want to lose that trust.

By the end of Potions everyone had successfully created and drank their potion, much to Draco's relief. He didn't fancy having a crowd of hormonal teenagers trying to seduce him while he used his charms to attract Harry.

Harry's potion had been bottled and Snape, surprisingly enough, had insisted he take it with him. It had not been tested, but Harry knew that it would work. He had followed the recipe closely, wanting to prove that he could do well at Potions when he wanted to.

It appeared that Severus Snape was a man filled with contradictions.

They were heading down to the Great Hall when Seamus decided to try and attract Harry's attention. He grabbed the other boy around the waist and lifted him up off the ground, causing Harry to cry out in shock, not used to being grabbed so suddenly.

"Hey, Harry" Seamus grinned.

Harry smiled warily, and struggled out of his arms, he glanced at Draco, expecting him to explode, but was alarmed by the calm look on his face; a calm look which hid the fury and rage smouldering in the silver eyes. Harry knew that Draco was barely controlling his Veela blood, and sighed.

Everyone moved away from them, apparently remembering the Pansy incident, which had left the girl afraid to even look at Draco, but Seamus stayed his ground. He knew that the Veela couldn't force Harry into bonding, and was hoping that Harry would pursue a relationship with him instead of the Veela - and Seamus being Seamus, he wasn't about to give in because of a few obstacles.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, Finnigan" Draco drawled coolly.

"Just playing around" Seamus said with a mischievous grin.

Draco growled warningly, eyes flashing with increasing anger at the sight of his mate in another boy's arms. He was pleased to see Harry react negatively to the Irish boy but the sudden flame of jealousy that had erupted in Draco's heart was hard to disperse.

"Draco..." Harry said softly, shooting Seamus a dark look.

Seamus gaped in surprise, having never had Harry look at him in such a way before. He suddenly realised that Harry was growing more than fond for the Veela, and knew he'd have to strengthen his attack.

He didn't want to lose Harry to Malfoy. He genuinely cared for Harry and wanted to be with him. Harry was unique, and when he loved he loved with all his heart, something Seamus craved for. What would everyone say if they knew that the 'Gryffindor Slut' wanted love and affection? He didn't want casual sex. He wanted something deeper – something more lasting and more of a commitment, and he knew Harry wanted the same thing. He thought that they'd be perfect together.

"Let's go to dinner, ok? I'm hungry" Harry murmured softly, gently guiding Draco through the doors leading to the Great Hall.

Draco did not protest, but his eyes glared fixedly at Seamus, the warning clear. The Veela wouldn't take kindly to any more interference.

"I think you'd better stop annoying him" Hermione warned carefully, not wanting to choose sides but wanting to caution the friendly, cheerful Gryffindor.

"I'll stop when Harry tells me to" Seamus said stubbornly.

"Malfoy will kill you" pointed out Ron. He may not like the Veela, but he obviously cared for Harry, and Harry liked the Veela in return, even if he couldn't see the attraction. Malfoy was… well… Malfoy.

"And I might win Harry" Seamus said with a grin.

The Gryffindors shook their heads in exasperation. Seamus was apparently not going to give in, and would see his challenge through until the end, even if it meant that he would be burnt, and badly, and they had no doubts on that. Draco Malfoy would not appreciate Seamus continuing his seduction.

It was at the end of the day when Harry and Draco retired to their Tower. Draco had stayed continually at Harry's side ever since the encounter with Seamus that morning, and Harry hadn't objected, content to be 'protected' from 'Irish perverts'.

Harry smiled at Merlin, and on Draco's quiet 'Magnetic Attraction' the portrait swung open. Harry climbed through instantly; he did not notice the loving look Draco gave him at how relaxed and natural he seemed on entering what Draco called 'their home'.

Draco immediately waved his wand and lit the fire, and Harry jumped in shock, finally noticing the two women sitting on the sofa. It was none other than Narcissa and Marissa Malfoy. Draco groaned, loudly, and didn't even try to hide his irritation. He had been looking forward to a quiet evening, alone, with his mate.

"Really, Draco, I would have thought that you would have been pleased to see me" Narcissa teased good-naturedly.

"It's lovely to see you, Mother" Draco said coolly, moving protectively towards Harry who was staring at the women with a stunned expression on his face.

"You have no reason to fear for his safety" Marissa said gently, understanding the Veela's protectiveness.

Harry's gaze instantly turned towards Draco. He offered a soft smile, which reassured the Veela. Narcissa smiled at the way he calmed her son. She was amused to see how easy Draco could be manipulated when he had been taught to manipulate others instead.

"You just scared me" Harry explained.

Narcissa shrugged elegantly, not apologising, even though Draco was glaring at her. She was a Malfoy, and although Harry was to be her son's mate it was difficult to set aside a lifetime of prejudice.

Harry hesitantly moved towards the other sofa, sitting down and meeting Marissa's eyes with a curious gaze. He knew hardly anything about the two women, and he wondered why they were here.

"We're here to talk about the bonding" Narcissa explained, sensing Harry's thoughts.

Harry blushed. The very thought of discussing such an intimate moment with Draco's family was distinctly unnerving. What made it worse was the fact that Harry did not know the two. The bonding was something Harry considered to be private between himself and Draco.

"I see you know what I am talking about - however; I was told by Dumbledore that you have not bonded yet..." Narcissa said softly, the unspoken question left hanging for Harry to answer.

Draco's glare intensified. His mother had always had a habit of interfering in his life, and it was unwanted. Harry didn't have to explain his behaviour.

"Harry does not have to answer..." he began to argue, eyes flashing.

"It's ok... It's just that it happened so suddenly. It was a shock to find out about Draco and the bond. I wasn't ready. I'm not ready now... I've learnt to accept it but I'm not..." Harry trailed off hopelessly, unable to explain himself, reaching out to touch Draco's arm in order to calm the irate Veela.

"He was afraid to commit himself to someone he didn't know" Draco added, voice soft as he fought for control.

Marissa nodded, eyes lingering on Harry's arm for a moment before they moved to stare at Draco, a neutral expression on her face. She understood the urge within Draco to protect his mate, but these questions needed answering.

"I can understand that. However, I need to know whether you do intend to bond or you are merely trifling with my grandson's affections" Marissa said coolly, switching her gaze to stare at her grandson's mate.

Draco tensed, visibly, shooting his grandmother a dark look. He knew that Harry would never tease him about something so serious. The Gryffindor was too kind-hearted to lead him on, and he was a hopeless liar anyway, so Draco would have seen the truth if Harry had been trifling with him. He couldn't believe that Marissa would dare to ask the question, and without her usual tact. He pointedly ignored the small voice telling him that she was only looking out for him.

"I do want to bond with him, but I want it to be special. I guess you could say that I want it to be perfect" Harry admitted finally, looking at Draco, his eyes telling the Veela that he was speaking the truth.

"Of course" Narcissa smiled, softening again.

Marissa nodded, excepting his answer. Her face didn't change, but Draco saw the reluctant approval in the woman's eyes. She was a Malfoy, and Malfoys thought out their actions before they went through with them. Harry's behaviour proved that he would be an adequate and acceptable candidate to join the Malfoy family.

Draco smiled at Harry softly, relaxing again now that he knew that Harry would not get angry about the accusation. He didn't want to argue with his mate. They had made progress over the past few days, and Draco would hate to find himself back where he had started.

"We just wanted to talk to you about male pregnancy" said Narcissa, a wistful expression crossing her face before it disappeared.

Harry flushed, lowering his eyes in embarrassment while Draco narrowed his eyes. He knew that his mother wanted children to carry on the Malfoy name, but Harry and he were not bonded yet, and hadn't even discussed having a child properly.

"When you do bond, Harry, there is a large chance of conception" Narcissa informed Harry, ignoring his embarrassment.

"Oh..." Harry mumbled.

"You do want children" Marissa asked, curiosity tinting her voice. If Harry answered negatively then there would be problems. Draco needed to produce a heir to carry on the Malfoy name.

"Yes" Harry exclaimed firmly.

He did want children, after all. He wanted nothing more than a large family – something which had always been denied him. He knew that Draco wanted children as well, and Harry wanted him to be happy; he owed Draco happiness. The Veela had been calm and patient with him at every obstacle they had come across.

Narcissa's eyes lit up and another dreamy smile crossed her face. She was clearly delighted with the prospect of becoming a grandmother. Draco choked back a laugh, and Marissa shot him a disapproving look.

"Good" Marissa said, eyeing Harry with something akin to approval in her eyes.

"Are you having a ceremony" asked Narcissa suddenly, her thoughts returning to reality.

"A ceremony" asked Harry blankly.

"Yes. As you probably know, in the wizarding world there is no prejudice against marrying someone of the same sex. Veela's can, if they wish, marry their mates before bonding" Narcissa said calmly, clearly approving of that choice.

"Marriage" Harry asked blankly.

Draco had never mentioned making their relationship official. In fact, the other boy had only mentioned the bonding. Why hadn't Draco asked him? Did the Veela not want to marry him? No… Draco loved him!

"I didn't want to tell you until you were more comfortable with the idea..." Draco murmured uncomfortably, sensing Harry's doubts.

"So we have to get married" Harry asked, understanding in his eyes.

"We don't have to - but we could" Draco said hesitantly.

He prayed that Harry would say yes. He had wanted to talk about having an official ceremony for some time, but had feared such a commitment would scare the skittish boy away. Draco could think of nothing better than being married, and bonded, to the boy he loved.

"I think I'd prefer it actually... it'd make me feel more... normal... I guess" Harry said quietly, his eyes fixed on the floor.

Draco sighed with relief, stroking Harry's hand lovingly. Their eyes met; dark silver and vivid emerald clashed with a variety of mixed emotions in their depths.

Harry could feel the magnetic attraction urging him to bond with the Veela, but fought it – for now – knowing that it wasn't the right time. He wasn't ready; if he gave himself now then he would grow to hate the other boy for being forced into something he wasn't prepared for.

"Then we will arrange a ceremony. Perhaps the dance could be an engagement party as well" Narcissa suggested not so subtly. It had apparently been her idea to do that all along.

Draco glared at her again, not liking the way she was pressurizing his mate into making decisions when he wasn't ready to commit just yet. He knew that she wanted a grandchild, but she was making the situation more difficult. Seducing his mate was a slow process, and so far Draco had made tremendous progress. In the beginning Harry had been in denial, and over the past few weeks the other boy had accepted Draco into his life, and agreed to a relationship. It was the best that Draco could hope for. They had been rivals and had hated each other for years before the discovery of the bond. It would take time; time Draco was prepared to wait.

"Ok...but I don't want to be married yet" Harry raised pleading green eyes to Draco's silver.

He hoped that Draco understood his reasons. He didn't want to hurt the Veela, but he couldn't give in yet. He needed to be completely sure about his decision before he did. He didn't want to make a mistake and be trapped in a loveless home… He had spent nearly his whole life trapped in a home with the Dursleys, who hated him, and didn't want the same with Draco.

"We don't have to marry until you are ready. The party will simply be procedure" Draco told him soothingly.

Instantly, Harry relaxed. Draco had understood, and didn't blame him.

"Good. Now, Draco, please leave so that your grandmother and I can call in the dressmaker. We simply have to do something about Harry's clothes" Narcissa said carefully, avoiding Harry's horrified eyes.

Draco understood. Malfoys were well known for being perfectly dressed to every possible occasion. He had been thinking about buying Harry clothes, but hadn't known how to broach such a sensitive topic, especially when Harry had no clue about fashion. It appeared that his dilemma had been solved.

Harry stood tiredly in the bedroom on a stool. The dressmaker turned out to be a man called Silvius Snazzer, one of the best dressmakers in the entire wizarding world. As soon as he had seen Harry he had set to work, discussing fabrics, colours and styles with the two older Malfoys as if Harry was not even in the room. He clearly believed that Harry was incapable of choosing a respectable outfit – not that Harry blamed him. The clothes he had been wearing had been Dudley's cast-offs, after all.

Harry wondered idly if Draco would have a fit about a male dressmaker touching him – his mate. The sight of Draco cursing the man to hell and back bought a grin to Harry's face. The Veela was very protective of Harry, and had a possessive streak a mile wide, which Harry found strangely endearing. It made him feel cared for to know that someone cared for him enough not to want to lose him.

"I think green is one of the best colours on him... and of course black... not too much decoration... plain and simple... perhaps a black robe, a green cashmere pullover... or a white shirt..." Silvius mused, studying Harry critically.

Harry shifted slightly, unused to such scrutiny. Silvius' eyes narrowed again, taking in the lithe form, dark hair and dazzling green eyes. The boy was quite a beautiful creature, underneath, and Silvius would enjoy dressing him. He adored a challenge.

"I'm sure Draco would like black...and green brings out his eyes. Make sure he has enough clothes for an entire winter wardrobe...cloaks, robes, casual clothes - everything. Draco will want him suitably attired" Narcissa said coolly, clearing showing her superiority to the dressmaker.

"Of course..." Silvius murmured, bowing his head slightly in subservience. He may be the best money could buy, but the Malfoys had a large hold over the wizarding world, and once word got out that Silvius had attired the wizarding world's saviour then more people would demand his services.

Harry started staring wistfully at the door leading to the living room, where an impatient male Veela was waiting for him.

'Help...' was Harry's last thought before he was forced to try on yet another outfit.

Nearly four hours later, Narcissa emerged from the room to find an impatient Draco glaring at the door. She smirked at the sight. During her visit she had discovered that Draco was completely and utterly hopelessly in love with his mate. She could imagine that his first reaction to the discovery would have been amusing to watch.

She had always wondered about the strange rivalry between her son and the Potter boy, but had put it down to Lucius' influence. She should have known that only his Veela blood would have caused such a strong emotion. Veela's were intense creatures. They either loved or hated.

On seeing her enter, Draco leapt up, eager to see his mate. He pushed past her, gently – she was his mother and a Malfoy, after all - and stopped, his eyes riveted on the figure before him.

Harry's small frame was dressed in a black robe, the silk gently skimming the floor around his feet. The cloth was tight fitted, clinging to his body, much to Draco's secret delight. The green silk shirt he was wearing was open at the top, revealing a tantalizing view of tanned skin. The black trousers were well fitted, perfectly showing off Harry's long legs. Draco inwardly praised Quidditch for being such an intense physical sport.

Harry's face was flushed in embarrassment, a query in the vivid green eyes as he waited patiently for Draco's approval or disapproval. Draco cleared his throat, his eyes burning with open desire.

"You look beautiful" Draco murmured, voice strangely husky.

Harry blushed, recognising the look in the Veela's eyes by now, and feeling the now familiar magnetic attraction Draco radiated increase. He relaxed slightly, fingering the expensive cloth. He had been a little overawed by the outfit, never having thought that he would one day be dressed in such garments, but Draco put his fears to rest.

"It's for the dance... Silvius said that green and black suited me the best..." Harry muttered, eyes lowered.

Draco's eyes moved to 'Silvius' and his expression changed to one of utter loathing within seconds, silver eyes cold and foreboding. This man had dared to touch his mate… Had dared to see Harry's frame partially unclothed... His mother had not mentioned that Harry was to be fitted by a man!

"Draco" warned Marissa, trying to calm her grandson, sensing the oncoming disaster.

Silvius eyed Draco warily, knowing that the boy was a very protective Veela. At the moment the younger Malfoy appeared to want to hex him. He had to admit that he had found Harry attractive, in an innocently appealing way. The boy was beautiful, and Silvius enjoyed dressing beautiful people.

However, Silvius would never approach Harry for numerous reasons: Harry was a customer, and one never mixed pleasure with work; Harry was also the Boy Who Lived, and out of his league; and Harry was also the mate of one of the Malfoy family who spent thousands of galleons every season for his creations.

"Your mate is very beautiful, I had no problem fitting him with an entire wardrobe" he said calmly, the word mate emphasised to show the Veela that he meant no danger to Harry or their relationship.

Harry seemed to understand and moved forward, gently reaching out to touch Draco's cheek. The gesture caught Draco's attention immediately and he smiled down at Harry, his eyes softening noticeably.

"Thank you for the clothes, Draco..." Harry said carefully, knowing that although his pride was fighting over being provided for by another, his gratefulness would calm the Veela.

"You are welcome. You will wear nothing but the best" Draco swore, meaning it. Harry would want for nothing. He would wear the best Draco could provide.

The fierce protectiveness and love in Draco's voice stunned Harry. He smiled lopsidedly, overwhelmed. He reached up and placed a soft, brief kiss on the Veela's cheek - a gesture that sealed his promise to Draco and proved that he had no intention of leaving him.

By the door, Narcissa and Marissa smiled at one another at the gesture, while Silvius silently thanked Merlin that the Veela had not tried to kill him.

He hastily made his departure.

After Marissa and Narcissa had left, promising to visit the next day as they were staying at the castle for several days, Draco and Harry had retreated to the bedroom again. Harry had instantly gone to the bathroom, wanting to relax in a tub of warm water after his stressful day.

Draco had taken a shower while waiting for Harry to be seen to by the dressmaker to make the time go by faster. It hadn't worked, but it did mean that he would be able to spend more time with the Green Eyed God, as Draco had secretly begun to call him, when he reappeared.

He stripped off and got ready in his pyjamas. He climbed into bed, waiting for Harry. Soon enough, the Gryffindor appeared from the bathroom dressed in a pair of new green silk pyjamas, which had been part of his new wardrobe.

Draco had to admit that Harry looked gorgeous. He could understand the way other people reacted around his mate; Harry had beauty, power, and had a silent strength which drew others to him.

"That Finnigan better leave you alone" Draco said suddenly, remembering the Irish Gryffindor.

"Seamus is just..."

"Trying to seduce you" Draco said calmly, but his voice was hard.

"He's just pratting around - I doubt he means it" Harry argued, climbing onto the bed.

"He keeps trying to touch you" Draco growled, temper rising rapidly at the thought of his mate with the other boy.

"You need to learn to calm down, Draco. I am not interested in Seamus" Harry said with a frown.

"You don't fancy him" Draco asked, curious but dreading the answer.

Seamus was an attractive boy, Draco couldn't deny, and he and Harry had known each other longer than Draco had known Harry. Oh, they had known who each other was for the same period of time, but Draco had not had the chance to know the boy hidden behind the pedestal the wizarding world placed Harry on.

"Seamus is like a brother to me. I feel for him the same as I feel for Ron" Harry explained carefully, not wanting to anger the Veela.

Draco had already proved several times just how possessive the Veela inside of him was, and Harry did not want to anger the Veela into believing he felt anything except friendship for the Irish boy. He didn't want to make Draco jealous, as jealousy was something which even when proven unfounded, left a trail of doubt.

"Good" growled Draco, and promptly pushed Harry down onto the bed.

He began to kiss Harry's face, gradually making his way to Harry's parted lips, which were desperately pleading for his attention. Draco moaned as he caught sight of passion filled green eyes.

"I love you so much" he whispered into Harry's ear, fighting the urge to ravish Harry then and there.

"I know" Harry murmured back.

Harry did know that. Draco had shown his love in a million different ways, and it was the love Draco had for him which drew Harry to him. Harry longed to be loved, and Draco loved him. He just didn't want to commit himself to Draco without loving him back – Draco deserved better.

As they kissed passionately Draco's heart clenched painfully with the realisation that Harry had not said 'I love you' back. He could feel the Veela blood running through his veins urging him to take his mate, to bond them together; to make Harry love him, but Draco controlled it. He knew that if he ever went too far and forced Harry to do something he did not want to do, then he would lose the Gryffindor for good. It was a chance Draco could not afford to take.

'You will love me, Harry...even if it takes a lifetime to make you realise it,' Draco swore silently, moaning into his mate's soft mouth, needing to reassure himself that Harry was there, with him, needing him.

But the pain that had been caused by Harry not returning his sentiments, burned deep within his heart even as he lost himself in his mate's response.

Harry awoke the next morning to find a strange owl standing on the dressing table, a letter tied to its snowy leg. The creature reminded Harry strongly of Hedwig, apart from the scattered black feathers adorned on the otherwise white breast. Harry carefully disentangled himself from Draco and walked over to the owl. He easily untied the letter and watched as the bird flew out of the window with a soft hoot of goodbye.

Harry opened the letter:

'_Harry,_

_Upon meeting you yesterday, I was surprised to say the least. You were not like anything I had expected. I guess that I had expected to meet the duplicate of James Potter and although you look uncannily like him appearance-wise, I have to admit that your personality was completely different._

_I had been worried before I arrived, upon hearing the news about my son's mate. Draco is, and always will be, the most stubborn boy I have ever met. I have heard stories about you, and although I did always wonder at the strong emotions between you both, I never considered this scenario._

_I was pleased to discover your wish to become a father. I have always wanted a grandchild, and I know Draco has always longed for a large family - due to his own loneliness as a child._

_I have several pieces of advice for you. Veela are very possessive creatures, as you know already. You need to be careful to let Draco know that you will never leave him for another, as the thought of losing their mate can drive a Veela to madness._

_To a Veela, their mate is everything. To Draco you are his entire world, and always will be._

_Never hurt my son, as my own Veela instincts will barely refrain me from taking revenge against you, even though it would hurt my son to have you hurt._

_He will always want your happiness, and will give you everything. Draco will never allow you to be hurt, of that you can be certain, and he will protect you until death, if it is needed._

_I hope to speak to you in private,_

_Narcissa Malfoy'_

Harry folded the letter and placed it on the dressing table. He moved back towards the bed, a soft smile playing at his lips as he gazed down at the sleeping face of his future husband.

'My _fiancé_,' Harry mused thoughtfully.

He watched as Draco stirred, his body automatically searching for Harry in the huge bed. The eyes snapped open suddenly, sudden panic filling them at the thought of Harry disappearing. Harry saw it and moved closer, so that Draco's eyes could fix on him.

Draco visibly relaxed. The fear that Harry had left him, or that it had all been a dream and that Harry still hated him, abated.

"Your mother sent me a letter" Harry explained.

"What did she want" Draco asked, wary.

"She told me some things I needed to hear" Harry said softly, leaning down to kiss Draco's lips possessively.

He may not love Draco yet, but he cared for him, and that was a start. He had not lied to Draco – he did not believe in uttering false promises of love when in the throws of passion. When he returned Draco's love, he would do so wholeheartedly.

When Draco and Harry arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, everyone stared at them, much to Harry's chagrin. Narcissa and Marissa were sitting with the teachers, faint traces of carefully concealed amusement gleaming in their eyes as Harry promptly dragged Draco towards the Gryffindor table. Draco, used to his mate's behaviour by now, and wanting to be with him, allowed himself to be dragged along, a faint smirk dancing across his face.

"Hey Harry" Hermione said cheerfully, nodding politely at Draco.

"Hey 'Mione..." Harry said distractedly, helping himself to toast and bacon.

Draco shook his head at his mate, and nodded his greetings to Hermione and Ron. He was polite – he knew Harry loved his friends, and knew that they were protective of Harry in return. He helped himself to a mug of coffee, giving a little sigh of appreciation as the smell reached his nostrils.

"You seem cheerful" Ron said, narrowed eyes fixed on his friend.

"He's just pleased that he's still alive" Draco said with an elegant shrug, eyes scanning the Slytherin table where they lingered on several of his friends.

All eyes turned to him, the old suspicion lingering. They had accepted him because Harry seemed to care for him, but they still did not trust him. He didn't blame them. He was a Slytherin, and a Malfoy at that. The Malfoy family name had bee tarred since Voldemort's first reign, and even today they were associated or suspected of being Dark Wizards, even if few dared to confront them with the accusation.

"What? My mother nearly smothered him with clothes" Draco shrugged.

"Clothes" asked Hermione, curiosity in her voice.

"Draco's bought me some new clothes" Harry explained, shooting Ron a warning glare.

"He's buying you" Ron hissed, voice loud enough that everyone near them, including Draco, could hear. Harry narrowed his eyes; unable to believe that Ron would think he was shallow enough to allow himself to be bought for worldly possessions. Ron knew that Harry had never had many belongings of his own, and that he valued emotions higher than necessities. Material possessions only meant a lot to him if someone he cared about with his entire heart, and couldn't be replaced, had given them to him. His invisibility cloak was an example, as was his Firebolt, and clothes did not compare to them.

"No - I'm providing for my fiancé" Draco corrected, having sensed Harry's anger at his friend's lack of subtlety. He wanted to prove that he was not buying Harry. He cared for Harry, deeply, and as his mate, it was his job to provide him with the necessities he needed.

The hall went deathly quiet at that declaration, as Draco had known it would. He smirked.

"WHAT" shrieked Ron, obviously stunned.

"When" asked Hermione, a soft smile on her face as she eyed Harry, pleased. An engagement meant that their relationship was progressing, and that Harry was beginning to love the Veela. Harry would never have agreed to be tied down if he didn't care for Draco… Harry just needed to realise that he was in love – which could take a while. Harry was too innocent for his own good most of the time.

Draco smirked wickedly, pleased with the effect his news had had. He was a Slytherin, after all, and Slytherins enjoyed causing large reactions, especially publicly.

"Harry's agreed to an engagement. The invites to the ball at the Manor will no doubt be arriving tomorrow. Harry and I will write them this afternoon" Draco said calmly.

"Invites" Ron asked weakly, seeing the situation rapidly spinning out of control.

"Harry, hadn't you better explain" Hermione said tartly.

"Well... Draco's mother mentioned marriage, and as I'm not ready to be married or bonded I agreed to an engagement" Harry blushed.

"At least you're not getting married" Seamus said suddenly, relief obvious in his voice.

Draco growled threateningly, furious at the thought of Seamus continuing his seduction. Harry was his!

Harry automatically reached out to touch his arm, controlling the Veela easily with his touch. He had already figured out that he could soothe the Veela instantly by making his attention wander to him. It was a Slytherin tactic, but it worked, and Harry had been nearly put in Slytherin, after all.

"Not yet" Harry said warily, not liking the grin on Seamus' face.

A grin that Harry knew meant trouble. He had spent his entire life at Hogwarts talking, laughing and hanging around with the other boy and knew his facial expressions fairly well by now.

"So, is there such a tradition called kiss the fiancé" asked Seamus casually, eyes sparkling mischievously.

"No" hissed Draco, visibly furious now. He didn't care if it was beneath a Malfoy to show emotion in public – he wouldn't sit there and watch as that boy fawned over his mate!

Harry grabbed his arms to prevent him from trying to strangle Seamus, knowing from the way the Veela had attacked Pansy that he would not stop to consider his actions and that he would not regret them afterwards.

"Seamus..." Harry pleaded, trying to tell the other boy with his eyes that he had to stop tormenting the Veela to deliberately make him lose his self-control.

"I wasn't going to kiss you" Seamus grinned, amused at the fire crackling in Draco's stormy eyes and ignoring Harry's pleading green eyes.

"You'd better stay away from my mate" Draco angrily ordered, and lifted his head arrogantly, a sneer spreading across his face.

"Harry, technically, isn't your mate until you bond" Seamus pointed out, smug.

Draco moved to get his wand and Harry hastily leaned forward, brushing his lips over the Veela's cheek until a pair of calm, slightly glazed silver eyes met his. Harry inwardly sighed with relief.

"I'm your fiancé" Harry reminded him softly.

Draco seemed to calm down completely at Harry's reassuring words, content to wrap his arm around Harry's waist, while watching Seamus through calculating silver eyes. He appeared intent on watching the other boy in case he tried to 'attack' Harry, much to Hermione's amusement. She hastily stifled a giggle when the silver eyes narrowed in her direction.

Everything resumed as normal, and Harry waited to see whether his godfather would send him any post with the morning owls.

Thousands of owls entered the great hall, but one bird stood out. It was a large raven, the feathers a pitch black and the eyes a vivid crimson. But what attracted the most attention was the black parcel tied to its leg. A parcel headed straight for Harry Potter.

As the bird dropped the parcel into Harry's plate, the Hall fell silent. Draco tensed as Harry reached out, untying it to reveal a black box. Fingers slightly shaking, Harry removed the lid and peered inside. At first nothing happened and then a voice erupted from the box. A voice, Harry knew, that belonged to none other than Voldemort.

"Congratulations on your relationship to Mr. Malfoy, Harry. Call this an early wedding present. Technically, the only reason why I'm sending you this is because the snivelling rodent has become useless to me. Try to prevent that mongrel from killing him before he's freed" the familiar voice hissed, almost trailing into parseltongue, before dying away.

"Harry" Draco questioned softly, concerned about the ecstatic look on Harry's face. He had recognised the voice, having heard it himself, but he was wary about the gift. Why would Voldemort send a gift to his enemy?

Not noticing the stunned faces around him, Harry reached inside the box and pulled out the stupefied body of Wormtail.

"Wormtail" Ron gasped, eyes going round as he recognised the rat.

"Sirius is free" Harry murmured, eyeing the rat as if it was the most precious gift he had ever been given.

Draco had known about Sirius's innocence and about Peter but he had never dreamed that Voldemort would free Sirius. It seemed that Voldemort was not too far gone by madness to enjoy irony. His father had often commented on the Dark Lord's unusual twisted sense of humour.

"What do you mean, Harry" asked Seamus, his voice slightly shaking, having never heard Voldemort's voice before.

"This rat is none other than Peter Pettigrew in his animagus form" Harry explained in a dazed voice.

Dumbledore hastily stood up, moving quickly with a grace which surprised many, his blue eyes narrowing and his power flowed freely, the strength of which he kept hidden except in dire situations, creating an atmosphere of awe and wonder around the watching students.

"Mr. Potter, please give me the rat" Dumbledore asked calmly, trying to extract the rat from Harry's fingers. He knew that Harry hated Peter Pettigrew, and he couldn't blame him, but Sirius would never be freed if Harry lost his temper and the control he had over his magic.

Harry pulled back, eyes uncertain. It was clear that even now he didn't quite trust the Headmaster, which made Dumbledore inwardly sigh. He had thought that their relationship had been repaired, but apparently they still had a long way to go before Harry trusted him enough to agree and abide by his decisions.

"No. I want to give him to the aurors" Harry argued, not wanting to give Pettigrew the chance to escape again.

"Then at least let me transform him" Dumbledore insisted gently.

Harry nodded, agreeing that it would be easier that way.

Dumbledore muttered something and a flash of blue light hit the rat in his hands. Harry let go hastily and dropped the rat on the floor. There were stunned gasps from the students and several of the Professors as the rat turned rapidly into the figure of a man, a man who Harry loathed completely. A man who had betrayed his parents and allowed his innocent godfather to spend twelve years living in hell.

"Peter Pettigrew," Harry whispered - hatred obvious in his voice.

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**End of chapter 10**

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